The Fall of the Clan
by Ninjalara
Summary: When Splinter’s prejudiced views get in the way of a turtle’s dreams, a chain of related events begins to unfold, slowly threatening the existence of the clan. Can both personal happiness and basic morals be achieved? Complete!
1. Pride

Disclaimer: Splinter, Michelangelo, Donatello, Leonardo, Raphael, Casey and April belong to Mirage Studios. Venus, Quease and Dragon Lord belong to Saban Entertainment. I do not own the rights to them, however I own these writings and any other original characters. Rated PG-13 for mild swearing, sexual situations and character death. Set in the Next Mutation/movie series when the turtles are 23 years of age. Be warned that Splinter may be portrayed in a different perspective.

****

The Fall of the Clan

Chapter One: Pride.

He that falls in love with himself will have no rivals.Benjamin Franklin.

Callused green knuckles turned a whiter colour as the leader's hands tensed and tightened around the hilt of the single katana. Leo's brown eyes lingered on Venus' open palm, knowing that she was about to perform her signature finishing move; the Chidori technique. He watched in awe as Venus lowered her right arm, as though it was dead weight, before supporting her wrist with her left hand. Leo breathed out in preparation as he observed the chi visibly build up and pool in her palm; her stiff fingers bent in a claw shaped position as they housed the glowing blue ball of energy.

Venus had spent many years trying to perfect this technique. It wasted a lot of chi energy and if a Shinobi was ill prepared, their life could be at stake because of the high demands on their body. Leonardo first observed this particular move two years ago, and even then Venus could only manage to summon enough strength to perform it once. She could now deliver the technique twice; the maximum, as Leo had once heard from Venus herself, was five. Venus, although already powerful, still had not reached her peak, and that very thought scared the boys to no end.

Kneeling on some tattered and worn out padded mats, the other turtles and their ninjitsu master sat at one end of the room. The sparring match held in front of them had managed to capture their attention, even though they all knew the outcome of the battle. Leonardo was now the only one who was a decent match against Venus, and even then on most occasions the battle would seem one-sided in the female's favour. This time Leo had put up a good fight, though everyone now knew that the match was going to finish in less than three moves. Splinter let out a reluctant sigh as he realised that despite his efforts and long endeavors to train his adopted sons, it still fell short of the independent female's talents. In his eyes, it simply wasn't right.

Leonardo shifted his right foot slightly forwards, wondering who was going to make the next move. Feeling gutsy, Venus finally decided to not waste anymore time and started to rush towards her sparring partner, with her right arm stiffly trailing behind. When Venus was in range, Leo desperately tried to hit the female's leading left shoulder with the hilt of his weapon, yet he was simply too slow to complete his move. The match ended when Venus heavily swung around her right arm and hit Leo's plastron with the ball of chi energy she had built up, causing the male turtle to collapse to the ground and slide backwards on his shell a few feet.

With a nod of recognition from Splinter, Don, Raph and Mike stood up and positioned themselves in a line, formally waiting for the training session to end. Venus and Leo joined them when they felt they were ready. With a wise and all-knowing smile, Splinter looked over his students and began to inform them on how they could improve. "Michelangelo," the rat begun. "You need to maintain your focus. Always keep your eyes on your opponent. Raphael, try to keep your guard up. Donatello, you need to be more aggressive. If you see an opening in your enemy's defenses, you must not be afraid to utilise that opportunity. Leonardo, try not to be so reliant on your katana." Splinter's eyes scanned over to where Venus was standing, and while she expected to get some feedback as well, the ninjitsu master chose to say nothing. "That is all. You are dismissed," Splinter concluded.

After a small bow of the head, the turtles left the dojo one by one, all except for Venus. Splinter stared at her while she stood in silence, as though she thought he was going to speak first. "Is there anything I can improve on?" Venus timidly asked when Splinter didn't take the bait.

"You are a fine warrior, and yet you still have many things to accomplish," Splinter stated, not directly answering her question.

"Like what?" Venus questioned, getting confused.

"Leonardo once asked me the same thing," Splinter said with a small smile. The rat did a subtle nod of the head, gesturing Venus to follow him to his room. They walked together in silence; Venus had no idea what information she was about to hear from the wise, old mutant. When they reached the train carriage that doubled as Splinter's private quarters, Venus timidly sat down on the floor in the traditional kneeling position, not wanting to disrespect the ninjitsu master. Splinter didn't seem to take any notice of her, and started to rummage around his room. His wrinkled hands picked up an ornate book, which he then started to flick through.

"We used to own a Polaroid camera," Splinter started on a tangent, making Venus even more confused on why she had been called to his room. "I have many photographs of my sons in their early years. Unfortunately the camera broke before I could complete this family photo album," Splinter said while he tenderly looked over the plastic sleeved pages. With an inquisitive grin on her face, Venus stared at the photos as well when Splinter gave her permission to stand once again. She watched as Splinter slowly turned its pages, looking at pictures of the boys when they were four, five, then six years of age, each growing more distinctive features as they reached their maturity. Being almost a witness to their past, Venus felt honoured and touched that Splinter would share these precious memories with her, as though she was a part of the family, even though she joined the team later on in their lives.

"This is Leonardo, training as always," Splinter pointed and explained a particular photograph. "He'd practice the same move all day until he felt he had perfected the technique. Though he never practiced for himself, rather he fought for the safety of his brothers. However, it is his path to be a warrior even though he values his family more than anything else," Splinter said before looking directly at Venus, as though she was supposed to gain some meaning out of his words. There was a short silence between the two.

"I… I'm sorry, but I don't understand-"

"-Leonardo is a very fine, young man," Splinter interrupted, though this time he wasn't as subtle. Immediately Venus understood what he was hinting at. At one time in his life, Splinter had lived in Japan, and thus he had naturally inherited some of the cultures and customs of the country. When a woman had reached a certain age, or had climbed to particular point on the career ladder, they were usually hinted by their bosses or superiors to settle down and start a family of their own, after being set up with a suitable partner. It was a Japanese custom commonly known as 'shoulder tapping', and was a tradition that Splinter had obviously picked up during those years he had lived there. It became clear to Venus that Splinter thought that she had finally hit the glass ceiling in regards to her training, and her life as a Shinobi warrior.

"But I want to fight," Venus started to protest, indicating to him that she had caught on to his true intentions.

"Raising a family can bring many joys," Splinter said while he gently slid his fingers over the opened page of the photo album. He acted as though he never heard Venus' protest.

"I don't want to settle down yet! I've only just reached a point in my life where I feel like I can greatly benefit the team," Venus argued. Splinter sighed after hearing her voice.

"Venus, you and my sons are now twenty-three years of age. Now is the time to evaluate what future you want to have. Unlike myself, you are very fortunate in that you have four partners to choose from. My sons are very capable of protecting themselves, but you are the only one who can continue the existence of our family," Splinter lectured with a calm tone of voice.

"But I can help them in battle!" Venus continued to argue.

"Yet there are other ways to benefit the clan."

"This isn't fair! This is America," Venus pointed out.

"And these are my sons, my clan, and this is my home," Splinter countered, clearly putting Venus in her place.

"How come the boys are still allowed to fight, but I'm not?"

"A battle is no place for a lady," Splinter said, though this time there was a hint of annoyance. They remained silent for a few moments while Venus acknowledged his sexist comment that truly signified how Splinter honestly felt about her current lifestyle. Knowing that there was nothing she could say to change the rat's prejudiced perspectives, Venus quickly stormed out of the room.

* * *

Dragon Lord impatiently rapped his long, powerful armoured claws against the armrest of his throne while he waited for a report from one of his servants. He stared dead straight down the elaborate corridor, wondering when Dr Quease would finish the invention he had been promising for weeks. Dragon Lord's forked tongued flicked forward and licked his scaly snout, finding the thoughts of devouring the flesh of his enemies simply irresistible.

His heart skipped a beat out of excitement when he spotted his Lieutenant suddenly enter the corridor with a small piece of equipment in his hands. Not wanting to look impatient in front of his inferiors, Dragon Lord waited until the purple-hooded dragon delivered a respectful bow before asking his first question. "Is it finished?" Dragon Lord's voiced boomed and echoed around the room.

"Yes, your Majesty," the Lieutenant replied. After receiving a glare from Dragon Lord, the lowly dragon finally got the hint that he wanted to inspect the new merchandise developed by the scientist living upstairs. With only a little flinch of hesitation, the Lieutenant carefully approached his master and handed him the device, before hurriedly stepping away once again. The object wasn't bigger than the palm of his hand, but Dragon Lord knew that it was designed to contain a powerful punch. His fingers caressed the metallic barrel and large square cartridge that could be clipped onto a Rank member's shoulder armour.

"Will it be more powerful than our current laser weapons?" Dragon Lord demanded an answer.

"Yes, your Majesty," the Lieutenant swiftly replied. Dragon Lord gave his follower a look, and the dragon took the improved laser gun out of his grip.

"Tell Quease that he is to make one for each soldier in our Rank army," Dragon Lord ordered.

"Yes, your Majesty."

"We will then search the sewers tunnel by tunnel until we find the turtles," Dragon Lord said, relaying his extensive plan to his subordinate. "We cannot lose this time," he added. Dragon Lord knew that using sheer firepower wasn't honourable, but then again, he simply wanted to win.

* * *

"Hi April. It's Raph. How have you been?" Raphael spoke quietly into the phone. He hated holding conversations out in the living room mainly because the rest of his family could listen in. Today, however, was different, in that everybody was preoccupied with something else.

"Venus, open the door. What's wrong?" Leonardo knocked and begged outside Venus' train carriage. The boys were curious as to what Splinter had said to her earlier, since she hadn't come out of her room once they had concluded their chat. Although he didn't know what was going on, Leo was still concerned about the angry yet saddened expression he briefly saw on Venus' face when she stormed away from Splinter's company.

"Give it up Leo. If she doesn't want to talk, then she doesn't want to talk," Donatello reasoned from his seat at the dining table.

"We're out of food," Mike reported as he hurriedly opened and closed all the kitchen cabinets.

"Yeah… I'm fine," Raphael continued to speak into the phone, secretly wishing his brothers would shut up so he could hear April on the other end.

"Then we'll have to go shopping," Donatello said while he flicked through a nearby newspaper.

"Well I don't have any money," Mike explained.

"We're really low on cash, guys," Leonardo said, turning his attention away from Venus' bedroom door for a few seconds. It didn't take long for his focus to return to his original task. "Venus, c'mon. I just want to talk," Leo spoke to the closed door.

"April, I can't hear you," Raph said while he glowered at his brothers. They all jumped in shock when Venus sharply slid open her door. A moment of silence passed through the lair, mainly out of the shock that Venus had actually responded.

"Did Splinter send you?" Venus asked quickly, as though she was interrogating Leo.

"Send me?" Leonardo replied with confusion.

"Did Splinter tell you to talk to me?" Venus rephrased her question. Leo's eye-ridges furrowed.

"No," he answered, still confused as to what happened between the female turtle and his master. For a split second Leonardo thought that Venus was going to let him in, but the girl abruptly changed her mind and slid the door shut once again. "What happened with Splinter?" Leo demanded to know, trying to get his voice heard on the other side of the steel door.

"Guys, can you shut up for a sec?" Raphael yelled at his family, fed up with the background noise. Leo, Mike and Don looked at him, finally acknowledging his presence. "Yeah, go on April," Raphael continued on his conversation when the lair was quiet.

"Food run?" Mike whispered to Donatello. The purple-wearing turtle put down his newspaper and nodded in agreement. "You coming Leo?" Mike asked quietly. Leo simply shook his head and pointed to Venus' door, signaling that he wanted to try and find out what had happened. Not wanting to disturb Raphael on the phone, Mike and Don silently put on their trench coats and fedoras before leaving the lair in search of some food.

* * *

"I feel really guilty," Donatello admitted as he walked through the sewer tunnels towards the lair. The turtle grunted in effort as he tried to reposition the bundle of packaged foods he held in his arms.

"Well that's what happens when you put your groceries down for just a few seconds," Michelangelo said with a delightful smile. "After all the times we've put our lives in danger, surely people should pay us back once in a while," Mike explained, but mainly he was just trying to reason with his own conscience.

"Still feel bad though," Don said as he continued to walk. Mike grunted in reply as he tried to get a better grip on his own armful of goods. "Crap!" Mike yelped as he accidentally dropped a packet of frozen fries. "Can you help me, Don?" Mike asked. Donatello rolled his eyes and turned around so that Mike would see that he simply didn't have any spare hands. With a sigh, Mike slowly bent down in an attempt to pick up the packet without losing his current load. "Crap!" Mike repeated when he failed miserably. Donatello groaned when he saw the various food packets strewn along the concrete floor.

"What was that?" Don asked suddenly when he thought he saw someone move in and out of the shadows behind Michelangelo.

"What was-"

"-Shhh…" Don hushed his brother as he silently put down his armful of food on the ground in a neat pile. Taking out his bo, he swiftly moved to stand beside Mike. "There's someone following us," he whispered into his bother's ear. Michelangelo immediately took out his tonfas, and the two turtles stood completely still for the next couple of minutes, ready for any ambush they might have walked right into. A rustling sound was heard, causing Mike to quickly scan the ground.

"Where's the peas?" Mike whispered his question after noticing that one of his packets of food was missing. The rustling sound continued.

"Who's there?" Donatello suddenly called out, causing Mike to jump in shock because of the sudden increase in noise volume. The rustling noise abruptly stopped.

"Good one!" Mike whispered sarcastically, thinking Don's last move was foolish.

"If they were an enemy, they would have attacked us by now," Donatello whispered his reasoning. Both quite nervous, they slowly headed to where they thought they had heard the rustling sound before it had stopped. There was definitely someone hiding in the dark corner of the two conjoining tunnels.

"Who are you?" a feminine voice nervously demanded.

"My name's Donatello. This is my brother Michelangelo," Don introduced as he and Mike continued to move forwards towards the source of the voice.

"Don't come any closer!" It wasn't a threat, but rather a beg for mercy.

"It's okay. We won't hurt you," Mike said as he continued to advance. Feeling more and more confined, the stranger decided to make a dash past the two turtles. Michelangelo grabbed onto her furry arm as a reflex reaction, causing the female to scratch his bicep with her spare hand out of defense. In pain, Mike accidentally released his grip and threw the girl to the ground before instantly covering his wound. The mutant female watched in fear as Mike hissed in pain.

"You alright?" Don quickly asked, keeping his guard up.

"I didn't mean it! Please don't hurt me!" the girl begged when she realised that the turtles could really harm her, especially when she noticed the weapons they were holding. Knowing that he was only scaring the girl, Mike ignored the blood flowing down his arm in order to stand in a less threatening pose. Donatello cautiously put away his bo in order to achieve the same calming persona.

During their long silence, the two turtles look over the stranger, now that they could see her in the light. The bag of peas that had gone missing were now on her furry lap; a gaping hole in the packet allowed a few peas to tumble out and onto the ground. Donatello rubbed his chin as he studied her furry form. She looked similar to Splinter, yet she had different facial dimensions, causing Don to be uncertain as to whether she was mutant rat or mouse. Whatever her species was, it was easy to see that the girl didn't have much body fat, causing the turtles to suspect that she had followed them out of sheer starvation. Her fur was long and horribly matted and tangled with dirt and sewer grime, obviously from scavenging for food around the filthy tunnels.

"You hungry?" Don asked, trying to make conversation. The girl nodded without thinking, before looking down at the bag of peas in her lap out of hunger.

"What's your name?" Mike asked, getting eye contact again.

"Eve," the girl responded quietly, not really knowing whether she should be scared of the two turtles or not.

"We've got a place to stay, where it's warm and safe. You can come with us if you want," Donatello invited. Eve looked at them suspiciously for a few long moments.

"Really?" she asked with an unsure tone.

"Really. You'd be more than welcome. There's plenty of space for everyone," Donatello said.

"We have some food there as well," Mike added. Eve's eyes widened in excitement and joy after hearing those words.

"Are you sure that's okay?" Eve asked, not wanting to be a nuisance.

"Yeah, it's fine," Donatello assured her. Eve finally let out a smile in relief while Michelangelo helped her off the ground with his good hand. "C'mon. Just follow us. It's not too far from here," Donatello explained. After spending a few minutes collecting their packets of food off the floor, Mike and Don continued their way home, only this time they had some extra company.

To be continued…


	2. Gluttony

Rene – Yeah, Venus is Mary Sueish, but she's always been a bit like that (and some TMNT fans will insist that she is a Mary Sue even though I feel that she's a bit too thick in the head to be one). In the second episode she did manage to defeat all four of the boys and hang them by their feet from the ceiling, and later on she single-handedly destroyed the Shredder. So if she was that powerful to start off with, then I can only predict that later on she would surpass the boys' talents completely. But don't worry, I plan to tone her down as the fic progresses.

Chapter Two: Gluttony.

__

Thou shouldst eat to live; not live to eat – Socrates.

"My arm's really killing me," Michelangelo whispered his discomfort to Donatello. The turtles turned around to see if Eve had heard that last comment or whether she was upset about it, but she seemed to be keeping her distance from them.

"Don't worry. We're almost home," Donatello said, though he directed the comment to both Eve and Mikey. The orange-wearing turtle nodded in response, and tried to subtly compress his bleeding wound with his spare hand. Naturally he was annoyed, though he blamed himself for not blocking her strike more than blaming Eve herself. The girl intrigued him in ways that he couldn't exactly explain, but then again he was always interested in a female's company.

"Venus!" Donatello called out for his brother's aid as soon as he stepped off the ladder that led down into the lair. When he heard no reply, he instantly remembered that the female turtle was in a bad mood. "Venus, I need your help. Mikey's injured," Don tried to coax her out again. A couple of seconds later, Venus warily slid open her bedroom door. Blood slipped through Mikey's fingers and tumbled drop by drop onto the concrete floor of the lair. Observing that Don's rumour was indeed true, Venus immediately set to work and walked over to inspect Mike's wound. By that time Leonardo and Raphael had noticed the newcomer.

"Who's this?" Raphael incredulously asked while he firmly strolled over to the small bale of turtles. Leonardo followed in his brother's footsteps, although he was less intimidating to the guest.

"Eve, this is Raphael and Leonardo. Leo and Raph, this is Eve," Don quickly introduced. "I've got some bandages in my room," the turtle said to Venus and Mike, swiftly changing his point of focus.

"Might need stitches," Venus commented as she stared at Mike's wound. She hissed at the sight of the ripped flesh, as though she was experiencing Mike's pain.

"It's not that bad… Is it?" Mike started to get worried. Without further ado, Donatello and Venus tugged Mike into Don's bedroom, making the place serve as a temporary infirmary. Raphael stood with his feet slightly apart and with his arms crossed, forming a closed yet threatening body position. In silence, Eve lowered her gaze and stared at the floor while tracing out imaginary patterns with her furry toe. Noticing the submissive body movements, Leo lightly tapped one of Raph's shoulders as a signal for him to seem more welcoming. With a slight grunt of reluctant acknowledgment, Raph finally untangled his arms in an attempt to look friendlier.

"So what's your story?" Raphael tried to ask calmly, though he still came across as being rather critical.

"My story?" Eve questioned in confusion.

"Yeah, your origin story," Raphael repeated, wording the question to sound like he was referring to a comic book character. Eve clasped and rubbed her palms together, still rather nervous and confused about what the turtle was asking her.

"He wants to know how you came to be; how you can walk upright like us," Leonardo reworded the question again.

"Well, I used to be a lab mouse-" Eve apprehensively started telling her story but stopped when she saw another creature enter the main living room of the lair. Her nose twitched in intrigue while the mutant rat stopped in his tracks while he inspected her from afar.

"Leonardo, would you like to introduce me to our new guest?" Splinter hinted to the turtle.

"Master Splinter, this is Eve. Eve, this is Master Splinter. He's the one who has taken care of us since we were hatchlings," Leonardo said, fondly adding some additional information. Beneath the scraggly fur and the small chipped claws, Splinter could tell that this girl was really young. He continued to stare at her, as though he was hypnotised. To him, Eve represented the unlikely prospect of happiness. There was a certain innocence about her; one that was luring him away from his own untainted life of solitude. If she was Eve, then Splinter wanted to be Adam; he wanted to be tempted by this figure of beauty, and if it was a sin to pursue such an idealised version of happiness, then so be it. Yet Eve simply didn't see Splinter in the same light, and while she mused that he seemed rather interesting, her thoughts never progressed further than that.

Before Splinter had the chance to say something to Eve, Donatello's train carriage door slid open once again. "All done!" Don exclaimed while gesturing towards Mike's new bandage.

"I'm sorry for scratching you. I didn't mean it," Eve started to apologise again, but Mike simply shook his head and waved his hand as though he was brushing away a fly.

"Oh, it was nothing. It just looked worse than what it actually was. I only needed to get it disinfected and bandaged. It barely hurt at all," Mike said, trying to boast and be humble at the same time. Raphael simply scoffed at his attempt at trying to act macho, while the others rolled their eyes.

"That's not what you said ten minutes ago," Don commented.

"I thought you were going to faint," Venus said.

"Faint? No way! I had the situation completely under my control," Mike denied their version of the story with a brash grin. Eve giggled at Michelangelo's antics; an action that caused Mike's smile to stretch even further across his face.

"If you don't mind me asking, are you a rat or a mouse?" Don questioned out of curiosity.

"I'm a mouse," Eve said.

"And how old are you?" Don asked. While Eve might have thought he was being slightly intrusive, the others knew that Don was simply trying to make conversation.

"I'm three months old," Eve answered.

"Three months! But you look as though you're in your early teens," Mike said, quite flabbergasted.

"In human time I'm three months old, though in mouse years I'm a lot older… If that makes any sense at all," Eve muttered the last part of her sentence.

"Eh?" Michelangelo was obviously confused.

"It's like what happens with dogs. You have to multiply each year by seven since they age a lot faster than we do," Donatello explained.

"So how old are you guys?" Eve wondered.

"Twenty-three," Leo said.

"We age at the same rate as humans," Donatello concluded.

"But if Splinter raised you since you were little, then how old is he?" Eve asked, getting increasingly curious.

"Good question! How old are ya, pops?" Mike asked with a cheeky smirk on his face. Curious as well, all the other turtles looked towards Splinter. Although his torn ear twitched slightly in response to hearing Eve say his name with her alluring voice, he still frowned at Michelangelo's sudden arrogance and disrespect.

"Older than you," Splinter answered honestly. Mike pouted, knowing that he'll never know the age of his mysterious father. "It's getting close to midday. Venus, would you please start preparing lunch? Sandwiches will do fine," Splinter calmly commanded. He probably didn't mean anything behind his words, or Venus was getting paranoid about Splinter's sexist views, but either way the female turtle refused to move.

"Mike's usually the one to make lunch," Venus said, not wanting to be reduced to doing domestic duties.

"Michelangelo has a sore arm. I would like you to do it," Splinter justified his decision. Knowing that she wouldn't be able to change Splinter's reasoning, and not wanting to break into an argument in front of their new guest, Venus let out an angry breath and slowly made her way to the kitchen area. The male turtles could easily sense the newly developed tension between Venus and their Master, but Eve seemed to be oblivious.

"Did you say that you came from a lab?" Leonardo eventually carried on the conversation in an attempt to break the awkward silence that was starting to form.

"Yeah…" Eve said.

"What kind of lab?" Donatello suddenly became interested once again.

"A science lab." Mike couldn't help but giggle at Eve's simple answer while Don sighed in frustration.

"No, I mean, what did they study? Cloning? Hybridisation? Transgenic mutations?" Don tried again.

"Stem cell research," Eve said.

"From cord blood?" Don pondered out loud.

"No. Embryonic stem cells." There was a long silence.

"But how is that possible? It's currently illegal," Donatello explained while he rubbed his bald head with a hand.

"It was Government funded, so they originally used cord blood. Then they started to experiment with mice stem cells and discovered massive improvements. When they managed to get hold of an aborted embryo, they illegally started to implant human stem cells into mice and other rodents. A lot of the time the cells weren't accepted, but by accident they created me in the process," Eve explained more fully this time.

"But they couldn't claim you, otherwise you'd be all over the news headlines right now," Donatello quickly caught on.

"That's right. But they were still going to keep me under observation. Then one day they let their guard down, and the rest, I guess, is history," Eve broadly summed it up. All were quiet for a few moments while they let the information they had just heard sink in. To make things fair, the turtles started to tell Eve about their origins; about the ooze, why they started to learn ninjitsu, and when Venus first entered their lives at the age of seventeen. By the time they had finished telling her their tales, which were repeatedly interrupted by Michelangelo's witty remarks like always, Venus finally announced that lunch was ready.

Eve's beady eyes hungrily stared at the large pile of sandwiches situated neatly in the middle of the dining table. Each bread slice was cut into quarters, forming small, almost bite-size pieces containing various combinations of spreads, cheese, lettuce and beetroot. Not allowing another second to pass, Eve filled her plate with whatever she could grab. "Just take what you want. Don't let us hold you back," Raphael muttered under his breath. Leo simply raised an eye-ridge at her eating habits while he gently sipped his cup of tea.

"You like food, huh?" Mike asked as a friendly and childlike smile played and swept across his lips. Eve could only nod her answer since her mouth was completely stuffed with food. "Seen any movies recently?" Mike tried to make small talk. Once again Eve could only shake her head in response. "Have you ever seen The Matrix?" Eve shook her head. "Donnie Darko? Blade Runner?" Mike tried. "They're good movies," Mike said when Eve negatively shook her head to all of his suggestions. Donatello rolled his eyes.

"You didn't even understand those movies! You only liked them because I told you they were good!" Don pointed out while he took a bite out of his own sandwich. Leonardo couldn't help but smile, knowing that what Don said was true.

"I understood every minute of them," Mike defended himself.

"Then tell me. What is the Matrix?" Don asked with a smirk on his face.

"It cannot be explained, only seen," Mike replied cheekily. When Eve was able to swallow, she let out a hearty laugh at Mike's answer, even though she had no idea what the turtles were talking about. Michelangelo grinned widely, as her giggles were like music to his ears. He always enjoyed making people laugh, and so far Eve was easy to please… at least more compliant than the rest of his family at any rate.

Already Splinter could sense a connection between Mike and Eve, and although the father-side of his personality should have felt delighted that his light-hearted son was making a new friend so quickly, he couldn't deny the pangs of jealousy that lay deep down in his soul. He knew what Michelangelo was like with women. He knew that Mike could easily fall in and out of love. But a relationship between a mouse and a turtle made no sense to him, especially when the female member of his own species was still single. It would be inevitably pointless, as Splinter had already realised that Eve would, on average, have only three years to live, which was pitiful when compared to Mike's suspected life span. As a parent, Splinter never wanted to deny his children the right to anything, but now he seriously started to consider as to whether he should draw the line when it came to Eve. After all, a mouse and a rat had a lot more in common.

"I haven't seen any movies," Eve admitted when her laughter started to die down. "They sound like fun".

"None at all?" Mike gasped in shock. Eve grinned and nodded.

"All I know about is stem cell research," Eve said. Michelangelo comically dropped open his jaw.

"Wow, you need to get out more. I'll have to teach you a lot of new things for you to be as cool as me," Mike boasted while he gave her a wink. Eve giggled once again, causing Raphael to seriously wonder what the mouse saw in the ignoramus.

When the last sandwich was eaten and there were no more crumbs on their plates, Splinter looked towards Venus once again. "I s'pose you want me to clean up as well?" Venus callously asked when she noticed her Master's gaze.

"We must keep things tidy for our guest." Once again, Splinter didn't answer her question directly, though his underlying intentions still seeped through. Annoyed, Venus roughly collected everyone's plates, allowing them to be excused from the table. At first Eve left with Mikey, but she returned a few minutes later when she had some spare time; obviously wanting to ask the female turtle something.

"So which one's your boyfriend?" Eve quietly wondered as she watched Venus hand-wash the dishes. The female turtle knew that her question was innocent and that the mouse was simply curious, but the topic still grated her nerves.

"I haven't got one," Venus answered as calmly as possible. Battle-scarred hands dipped in and out of the soapy water as she cleaned and rinsed one of the cheap plastic plates before laying them aside to drip-dry for the time being.

"Well, what one do you like the best?" Eve rephrased her question, though what she really wanted to know was whether Mike was available or not. This time Venus didn't answer at all, but it wasn't because she didn't know the answer, but rather because she didn't want to admit it. "Surely you prefer one of them by now. The others told me you've been here for six years," Eve said matter-of-factly as she started to feel more comfortable around the lair. Venus knew that the girl was starting to come out of her shell more, though she wished the mouse picked a better topic to break the ice with.

"I do like them," Venus partly admitted, not giving Eve a straight answer. "But right now I don't want to get into a relationship," Venus honestly said. The turtle unplugged the drain and allowed the water to fall through. She then tenderly grabbed a small towel so she could start to work on drying the dishes completely.

"Why?" Eve asked, not understanding Venus' logic. They came from different worlds. Venus was brought up to learn about honour and respect, while Eve's relatives were treated like guinea pigs; allowing themselves to be manipulated in the name of science. Eve's own mother had given birth to twelve litters from ten different partners, and as a result Eve had been raised with a shallow view of the world.

"Because I didn't come all the way from China just to be bred like a rabbit! I came here to avenge my Master's death!" Venus angrily said as she shoved a dry plate back into a cupboard. She sighed when she realised that she had unleashed her emotions in front of Eve, who simply didn't deserve such a furious response. "I'm sorry. I'm just having a bad day, that's all," Venus apologised when she had calmed down. Eve remained silent, as though she was expecting a better explanation. Venus sighed, wondering if the girl was too curious for her own good. In the end, Eve, like herself, was female, and so Venus finally decided that she might be worth confiding in. "Earlier today, Master Splinter basically told me to stop fighting. He wants me to settle down; start a family," Venus said.

"Why not? Babies are cute." Upon hearing Eve's response, Venus knew that the mouse was too young to understand the complexities of life. Eve's words didn't contain much thought behind them. For Venus, babies were like parasites that sucked away personal freedom and financial wealth while only leaving behind piles of responsibility. The turtle sighed and returned to drying the last remaining dish. She really wished and hoped that Eve would understand her point of view, but after speaking with her, it only made it clearer that she was truly alone in the battle against her destined future.

__

To be continued…


	3. Envy

Chapter Three: Envy.

It is a nobler fate to be envied than to be pitied – Pindar.

Eve's whiskers wavered with a mixture of fear and intrigue as she stared, unblinking at the sparring turtles in front of her. After spending the night in their warm, comfortable lair, Eve was personally invited by Splinter to watch the turtles' training lesson the next morning. Although she still wasn't used to seeing one-on-one fighting matches, Eve managed to develop a mild fascination with the ninjitsu style, but only enough to maintain her focus and not turn around and close her eyes when anything became too scary.

A single bead of sweat molded and formed on Donatello's domed, bald head, before rolling and trailing down the side of his face and dripping onto the mats below. Raphael was equally as tired as his brother, but in conjunction with a large intake of air, the turtle managed to muster a flying forward kick as the final blow. Eve winced slightly, but still watched the scene in front of her. Splinter simply smiled at his two sons and officially concluded the match; Raphael being the winner against Donatello.

Leonardo shifted in his place, knowing that he would most likely be called to spar against Venus, like in most lessons. It was sometimes difficult having an odd number of students, in that one turtle usually had to fight twice in order for everyone to have a turn, or Splinter would have to spar instead. Leo frowned as he quickly wiped the sweat off his brow that had formed as a result of his recent sparring match with Michelangelo, knowing that he'd need a lot of endurance for his upcoming battle with the female turtle. His forehead creased with confusion when Splinter unexpectedly called forth all of his students like he usually did at the very end of the lesson. His brow wrinkled even further when his suspicions were correct.

"Leonardo. Good work, but make sure you do not lock your elbow when you punch. Raphael, try to conserve your strength. If a simple punch or kick is all that's needed, then don't perform a higher level technique that exerts more energy. Donatello, try not to look exhausted in front of your opponent. Always attempt to look formidable, as sometimes a simple, defiant look is all that's needed to turn away an enemy. Michelangelo… don't show off," Splinter concluded the lesson by delivering his final comments. For the second day in a row, the aging ninjitsu master overlooked Venus.

"Um… Master Splinter. Venus didn't get to spar," Leonardo mentioned. He didn't want to offend his father by suggesting that he was forgetful, but a part of him wanted to prove himself against the female turtle. After all, he had a couple of moves that he wanted to test out. Splinter remained unresponsive, as though he never heard Leo's words.

"You are dismissed." The rat spoke firmly, demonstrating that there was no mistake on his behalf made, but rather it was purely his own decision. Venus stormed out of the dojo and made a beeline for her room. With a loud thud, she recklessly slid the door shut. To her, Splinter's actions and exclusions were like a slap in the face. For a whole two hours she had practiced beside the boys; tediously going through each technique, every kata and performed each set combination of moves. But all that training was meaningless if in the end she could not present or express what she had learned through a sparring match. There was no point in learning how to attack and defend herself if she couldn't practice it in a more realistic situation. It was as though Splinter was playing mind games with her, like he wanted her to realise that her time could be better spent elsewhere. All Venus wanted to do was to break down into a fit of tears, but she didn't allow herself the pleasure of such an emotional release and therefore resorted to pacing relentlessly back and forth inside the enclosed train carriage.

There was a knock on the door. Venus stopped pacing. With a sigh, she reluctantly answered by sliding open the door. Michelangelo stared at her with an unusual solemn expression, while Don looked over his shoulder. "Can we come in?" Mike asked simply. Venus nodded and allowed the two turtles to enter her room, then slid the door shut once again. The female stared at them as Don and Mike exchanged apprehensive glances. "Eve told me what Splinter suggested to you," Mike started. Venus took a deep breath, rather worried what their opinions on the matter would be, yet at the same time she became annoyed that the mouse didn't seem to know when to keep her mouth shut.

"Who else have you told? Who else knows?" Venus wondered.

"Just me, Eve and Donny."

"We didn't think it was true until after this morning's lesson," Donatello explained. The trio of turtles fell silent due to the awkwardness of the conversation. Mike started to suck at his bottom lip but stopped when he knew that something should be said.

"I don't think it's right," Mike stated his opinion. Don simply nodded in agreement. "You're an awesome fighter and I don't think you should give it up," Mike continued. Venus gave him a weak smile in acknowledgment of his compliment.

"Thank you," she whispered. "But Splinter doesn't think the same way," Venus said, relieved that she could finally discuss her problems with someone else.

"What exactly did he say?" Don wondered.

"He said that a battle was no place for a lady," Venus repeated Splinter's words as more anger started to build up due to his decision. "He told me that I should consider raising a family; settle down with Leo," Venus growled, and through her subconscious mind, she clenched and unclenched her fists. She suddenly froze in her spot when she realised what she had just said. The words had just toppled out of her mouth. Venus glanced at the two males in the hopes that they didn't hear the last part of her sentence, but it was clear from the long silence that followed that they heard everything.

"Wow… I hate it when Raph is right," Mike said, his voice turning back to his bubbly, light-hearted self.

"Right in what?" Don was curious.

"Right that Leo is Splinter's favourite! Raph wasn't paranoid; he was right all along," Mike commented with a little giggle. Don and Venus couldn't help but smile at his reasoning as well, even though the situation had just turned awkward.

"If it's any consolation, he used Leo more as an example of the rest of you-"

"-Venus, don't worry about it. The fact is that Splinter really shouldn't have suggested this to you at all," Don interrupted. Deep down, it did hurt that Splinter preferred Leo to hook up with Venus. While Mike simply hid his emotions under a façade of giggles and smiles, Don thought more rationally about the situation Venus was in, and soon started to feel sorry for Leonardo instead; as a reverse effect, Venus was now less likely to choose him in order to spite Splinter.

"Maybe you could spar at another time? Like, continue to go to the morning lesson so you still get to practice all the techniques, then when Splinter goes to bed at night, sneak out of the lair and spar with someone. He'll never know. Splinter can't control everything you do," Michelangelo suggested. Venus smiled, even though her situation was a bit more complicated than that.

"Thanks. I might try that," she said simply. "Just don't tell Leo about all this," Venus returned to the earlier issue.

All three turtles jumped in shock when Venus' carriage door was suddenly slid open. "Don't tell Leo what?" Raphael asked warily as he invited himself into Venus' room.

"How long were you standing there? How much did you hear?" Venus hurriedly asked, quickly getting worried.

"I heard a little bit," Raph admitted. He crossed his arms across his plastron, as though he was waiting for someone to fill him in on what was happening.

"You know it's rude to eavesdrop," Venus commented.

"And it's also rude to talk about people behind their backs and behind closed doors. You guys preach to me about how important it is to stick together as a family, and then you go off and leave people out of the loop," Raphael criticised, not really knowing what he was getting himself into. "So what's going on?" Raph asked more forcefully. There was a long silence filled with awkward glances. "Yeah, that'd be right. Don't tell 'crazy' Raphael anything! Leave me outta the loop, why don'tcha? Let's leave Raph clueless!" Raphael mimicked and mocked. He really didn't care about what they were walking about, but whatever it was, it did seem important. But what irritated him so much was the fact that he was being excluded.

Don sighed, knowing that it would be best if they just came clean, since Raphael was only going to get angrier and blow things out of proportion. Yet Don made the mistake in explaining to Raph the situation, instead of consulting Venus first. In the end, Venus wished her last sentence was, 'Don't tell Leo _and_ Raph about this', as she had inadvertently given Don and Mike the permission to pass the information on.

"Well maybe Splinter's right," was Raphael's reaction.

"What?"

"How can you say that?" Mike and Don were both shocked, but Venus wasn't surprised at all. Raphael had always viewed Venus as a threat. He couldn't stand the fact that a girl could fight better than him. Although he held some respect for her abilities, he still desired the position of top dog; to be recognised as the best ninja in the clan. Raph was now given the opportunity to bring Venus down, so that things could return to the way they were, with Leo being his one and only competitor. Venus knew all this, and sometimes she really believed that Raph held stronger sexist views than Splinter. Although Raph was attracted to Venus' spunk and sometimes enjoyed the challenge she presented in a fight, he still couldn't deny the urge to ultimately win.

"Well it's true. Maybe she should start acting like a girl and start thinking of settling down," Raphael argued his opinion.

"But why now? I have plenty of time to do that later," Venus said.

"Have you ever thought of the possibility that maybe one of us would like to settle down sometime soon? Did you ever think of us? I wish you could just pick one of us already and get it over and done with, so the rest of us can go back to our ordinary lives!" Raphael yelled. There was nothing he hated more than procrastinating when it came to life-altering decisions.

"And what about me? I just stay in the lair all day and keep popping out babies!" Venus snarled.

"Don't try and prolong the inevitable." There was a short, shocked silence.

"So that's what you guys truly think of me as? Some floozy whose only purpose is to be eye-candy!" Don and Mike knew that Venus was getting really riled up, and it didn't help that Raphael kept egging her on. They both wanted to jump in and prevent the upcoming hotheaded argument, but neither really knew what to say in Venus' defense. Although Raphael was quickly getting cocky and arrogant, there still was an ounce of truth behind his politically incorrect words. It was true that one day, in order to continue on with the existence of the species, Venus would have to choose a mate. It was now only a question of when.

"Well isn't that the whole purpose of the only female member of our species?" Raph continued to debate.

"In case you have forgotten, I came to America to avenge Chung I!"

"So what? That doesn't mean that we can't deal with Dragon Lord ourselves."

"Dragon Lord is my enemy as well. If anything, I have a stronger reason to defeat him than the rest of you put together!"

"Oh really! Then how come you were the one to defeat the Shredder? Do you know how long we fought him for? How much all of us personally wanted to get back at him for all the horrible things he did to us? How is that fair?"

"What! That was different! If I didn't step in, Leo would be headless by now! How dare you compare the Shredder to the position I am in."

"Lies! What total bullshit! We would have gotten out of that mess without your help. We always had in the past. You took away our glory of defeating Shredder, so why can't we destroy Dragon Lord?" Raphael irrationally reasoned.

"What's going on in here?" Leonardo walked into Venus' bedroom only to find the rest of his family in the midst of a heated argument. As the leader, Leo instinctually felt the need to quell any qualms and to know what was happening in the clan and between particular members. Silence quickly returned to the room, which was sort of surreal considering there was non-stop talking within the last couple of minutes. Suddenly the lair's perimeter alarm started to wail. Although it was never a good thing to hear it, Venus was relieved that this time she was 'saved by the bell'. Donatello immediately bolted over to his computer in the main living room, with the others closely following behind.

"Dragons," Don said as he analysed the symbols and patterns that appeared over the computerised sewer tunnel map. "That's really weird…"

"What is?" Leo wondered, looking over Don's shoulder.

"Usually the Rank storms the sewers in huge groups. Today they're scattered all over the place, moving in groups of two or three individuals."

"Maybe they're just scouts?" Raph suggested.

"What should we do? If we attack the groups closer to the lair, then that might cause them to search this area more thoroughly," Donatello said to Leo.

"Well we can't just lie low, otherwise we risk our lair being found. We'll have to attack the groups one by one, but try to do it at random locations so that they don't suspect the general area where we live. We should be able to do it if we use the Hummer to travel topside from place to place," Leonardo formulated a plan. Everyone nodded in agreement. With no more words being shared, the turtles hurried over towards the rack where they kept their weapons and started to equip themselves. It wasn't long till Leo noticed that they were one member short. "Aren't you gonna come, Venus?" Leo asked.

"You know what? I'm going to sit this one out. See how you fare without me!" Venus stubbornly declared, not moving away from Donny's computer.

"Venus, don't do this. Now c'mon, we need you," Leo said, wanting to stop whatever nonsense that had occurred before he had burst into Venus' room.

"Well Raph certainly doesn't think that," Venus quipped.

"C'mon Leo. You can't force her to come. It'll be like the old times with just us four," Raphael ignored Venus' last comment in order to manipulate the scenario into his favour. In a sadistic sort of way, Venus wanted Raphael to suffer. She wanted to see him come crawling back, begging her to join the team again. But she knew that it wasn't going to happen, and she didn't really have the heart to wish such horrible things on another family member. She just wanted to be appreciated, and while she could have shown off her worth by going with the others, she also knew that she was currently too riled up and flustered to be focused enough to fight effectively. Right now, she just wanted to be away from Raphael.

"Are you sure?" Leo asked Venus again. She nodded, confirming her decision. With a reluctant sigh, Leo headed off towards the Hummer, leaving Venus behind.

* * *

Making no sound, the four male turtle hugged the sewer wall and inched closer and closer to where the dragons were. With a quick peep around the corner, Leonardo counted two enemies. While he was wary as to why there were so few, he also felt certain that they would have an easy victory. Breathing low and frequently glancing around the corner, Leo signaled to his brothers when it was safe to make their move.

Unfortunately they weren't quick enough to knock the dragons unconscious without their presence being detected, but it didn't worry the turtles too much since they still outnumbered them. The two parties of reptiles stared at each other, wondering who was going to make the first move. The turtles stood in a line; their weapons at the ready, their feet prepared to quickly dodge anything, and their minds were completely focused on the task at hand. If they didn't have their bandannas or weapons, they would have looked identical to each other, just like old times.

While they waited for the dragons to make their first move, Leo could sense that something was wrong. The Rank usually attacked them head-on with no hesitation, yet today they seemed to stand back. The turtles' eyes grew wide when they realised that the two dragons were going to use their laser guns instead. Their muscles tensed out of both fear and instinct. The lasers usually hurt, but not that much. It was mainly the fact that the highly focused heated beams were hard to avoid.

As a group, the turtles rushed forward, hoping to get in close range before they could effectively shoot. The dragons cleverly focused their attack on Leonardo, and while he successfully managed to block a shot with his single katana, he still took two hits. A searing hot pain swept and spread across his leg. Leo's knee instantly buckled, causing him to fall to the ground; the other three continued to run forwards. It didn't take long for Leo to realise that these weren't the laser guns that they were used to versing, as the burning sensation was so painful that Leo couldn't help but to let out a short scream. Then the world suddenly seemed to fade away from Leo's sight. He never got to feel the pain from the second shot.

To be continued…


	4. Lust

Author's Note: Sorry this next update had taken a while, but obviously this has been a busy week with Christmas. Anyway, I'd just like to take this time to thank you (whoever that may be) for nominating my fanfic, Mary Sue, for Best Happy Ending in Ziptango's 2004 Fanfiction Competition! I think the nomination ballots have now closed so now stories can be voted on, but if anyone wants more information about the competition, then just search this site under Ziptango's pen name and follow the links on her website. There are many categories, so if you're feeling bored these holidays, then you've got heaps of fanfics to judge. Once again, thank you for the nomination, and I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Chapter Four: Lust.

The first two facts which a healthy boy or girl feels about sex are these: first that it is beautiful and then that it is dangerous. – GK Chesterton.

The second hand of the lounge room clock seemed to click slower than usual. Everyone was so anxious that there seemed to be hurricanes churning around in their nervous stomachs. Leonardo was unconscious when they arrived home. With no questions asked, Don, Mike and Venus immediately tried to tend to Leo's two wounds, using Don's train carriage as a temporary infirmary. When he was safely hooked up to an IV drip, Don quickly ushered Venus and Mike out of his room so he could assess the extent of Leonardo's injuries.

During the next half-hour, Raphael explained to Splinter, Eve and Venus what had happened. During the incident, the three of them managed to knock out the two offending dragons. But when Raph realised that Leo had been seriously hurt, he turned around and killed them out of anger and revenge. There were some grave doubts, not only about Leo's well being, but also the fact that they had only attacked the one pair of dragons – the ones that were closest to their lair. If Dragon Lord was smart, he'd soon find out about his missing followers, and then it would only be a matter of time before he increased the number of search patrols in their section of the sewers.

Guilty thoughts clustered and weighed down Venus' mind. Judging from Raph's report, she didn't really know if she could have fended off the high-powered laser shots, but the fact that she had secretly wanted them to be taught a lesson was what really brought her down in the dumps. She felt she had jinxed them with her words and actions filled with spite, and now that might have cost them Leonardo's life.

At last Donatello emerged from his room. Everyone held their breath, expecting Donatello to make a public announcement, though he walked directly over to Splinter and pulled him aside. "He's stable," Don said loud enough so that everyone could hear. An audible communal sigh of relief was heard. "He's awake now. Gained consciousness again about two minutes ago." Splinter nodded in acknowledgment, though he knew from Don's facial expression that there was more to be said. The rat patiently waited while the others tried to listen in on the conversation. Donatello took his time and tried to think of what he was going to say next.

"How are his injuries?" Splinter finally asked as though he was trying to force the vital information out of the worried turtle.

"He was shot just above his left knee. The wound's been cleaned and bandaged, though he might limp for the next few weeks, but…" Once again Donatello took his time to choose his words carefully. "He was also shot in the neck," he continued. Splinter remained unresponsive and patient. Everyone else tried to subtly lean inwards so they could hear the conversation better. Donatello sighed, knowing that however he said it, it wasn't going to be any easier. "His nerves have been damaged beyond repair." Everyone fell silent.

"What does this mean?" Splinter dared to ask.

"He's unable to use his right arm. He's lost all feeling in it. It's as though he's had a stroke… I don't think he'll be able to fight anymore…" Don trailed off.

Splinter let out a long, loud sigh as he knew what Don had said was true. Leonardo could no longer fight. In order for a ninja to battle effectively, they needed to use all of their limbs; any less would be a major disadvantage. To Splinter, Leo's arm might as well have been amputated. It would take months for Leonardo to adjust to the unbalanced dead weight on his right side, and although someday he could practice ninjitsu again, he'd never be able to fight as well as he did before the accident. He had passed the peak of his training. As both his teacher and father, Splinter felt that it would be irresponsible to let Leo fight alongside his brothers, as his right arm would forever be an easy target for his enemies.

Deep down, the turtles knew that this would happen. It was only a matter of time before one of them either died or was maimed from battle. It was a reality that none of them wanted to acknowledge, and yet it was something that they must face. At first they were all relieved that Leonardo was alive, but after listening to the finer details, they knew that for Leo this would be worse than death. "Has he been told?" Mike timidly asked. Donatello solemnly shook his head. Splinter sighed once again and entered Don's room, while the others interpreted that as a signal that they should wait outside.

It was a bit of a shock to see Leonardo in such helpless circumstances. His eyes were tired and sorrowful; the bed sheets were tangled, not covering him fully; his right arm didn't move or even twitch. A small smile emerged on Leo's bedraggled face when he saw his fatherly role model. "My son…" Splinter was at loss for words while he took a seat beside Leonardo.

"Master Splinter… what happened?" Leo questioned, his voice raspy due to his neck being swollen. Splinter tenderly reached forward and gently clasped Leo's hand, however he pulled back when he suddenly remembered that he had no feeling in that arm.

"You were injured in battle. Your leg will heal with time, however you might never get the full use out of your right arm," Splinter decided to tell him straight. Leonardo gave him a quizzical look, and for the first time since he regained consciousness, he finally acknowledged his numb limb. His whole body shook with panic when his arm didn't respond to his mind's wishes. Leo touched it with his left hand, though to him it felt like he was touching something foreign. He couldn't control it, he couldn't feel it, and he couldn't use it. Tears swiftly started to blur his vision as he so desperately tried to do something, anything with his right arm. Splinter tried to calm him down, but Leo wouldn't listen. He panicked so much that it wasn't long till he knocked out the IV drip that was attached to his right hand. "Donatello!" Splinter called out for help.

The purple turtle immediately appeared, noticed Leo's panicked state and quickly tried to attach the IV drip again. Knowing that it was hopeless, Leo finally calmed down. He laid down, motionless, trying to come to grips with the new card that life had dealt him. No words were expressed as Donatello quietly tended to him, though both Don and Splinter knew that Leo's emotions were running high. After giving a respectful bow to Splinter, Don left the room knowing that they still needed some time alone.

"You have always been dedicated to the Martial Arts," Splinter finally spoke. Leo remained unresponsive, as though he knew what was going to be said. He dreaded it. "And now, I'm afraid, that we all must move on. Do not see yourself as a failure, as you have done me proud. From a tiny hatchling, I have seen you grow into a fine young man. You still have many years ahead of you, and now you have the time to appreciate the precious gift of life itself. It was an honour to teach you, Leonardo." With that, Splinter slowly left the room.

Leonardo continued to remain motionless on the bed. No doubt the rest of his family would hear Splinter's farewell speech one day as well, though Leo knew that it would be many years down the track. His Master's message was short and succinct, however it gave him a lot to think about, especially with what he was going to do next. Splinter didn't need to tell him that he could no longer fight as he had already gathered those facts on his own. Without ninjitsu training, Leo had lost his guide and was currently a lost soul. Temporary goals such as perfecting his spinning kicks no longer existed, as though he was given a clean slate. He had lost what he valued the most, and thus he lost his love for life.

* * *

A cold breeze swept along the streets of New York City while a lonely turtle clutched at his trench coat hoping for some extra warmth. Sick of dealing with the sorrowful emotions left back at the lair, Raphael decided to take some time out, although his family argued that Leo needed his brotherly support. Raph just needed time to deal with his own thoughts and worries. After mindlessly trudging around the streets for ten minutes, on a whim the turtle decided to pay a visit to April.

With a spring in his step, Raphael determinedly turned down the many alleyways and roads until he finally reached the building he wanted. A small smile toyed on his lips as he pulled down the ladder of the fire escape; fantasizing and comparing himself to a prince whom was traveling to the top of the tallest tower in order to reach his princess. Up and up he silently climbed until he secretly slid open one of her apartment windows with the use of a sai. He was shocked at what he saw.

A wooden chair looked like it had been slammed into the floor, which caused one of its legs to break off. Instinctually fearing that there had been an attack by one of his enemies, Raphael frantically scanned the apartment. He found April sitting on the couch, staring off into the distance. When he slowly approached her, he noticed the smeared mascara and red irritation around her eyes, suggesting to him that she had been crying for a while. Raph frowned when he also observed the blackening bruise that was starting to develop on her cheek, although it seemed that she had been hit with a rectangular object since the injured area had a weird, ninety-degree angle mark.

"Hi Raph," April softly greeted before quickly sniffling.

"April… what happened here?"

"Oh, it's nothing Raph. Don't worry about it."

"Nothing? It certainly doesn't look like nothing," Raphael commented while gesturing towards the broken chair.

"It's stupid really."

"Just tell me," Raph demanded. April sighed.

"Casey was over here earlier and he offered to go and rent a movie. I asked if I could invite you guys over, and, well… I mean, I can understand why he reacted the way he did. After all, he just wanted to spend some quality time with me," April started to ramble. She subconsciously took a tissue out of her jacket pocket, though instead of wiping off some of her remaining tears, she nervously twisted and twirled it around in her hands.

"You had a fight?" Raph questioned, looking warily at her bruise.

"Not a fight, exactly. You know what Casey's like. He just threw some pieces of furniture around," April said.

"Did he hit you?"

"What? No! No it was nothing like that."

"Nothing like that? Then tell me, how did you get that bruise on ya face?" Raphael really wanted to get the facts out of April. He cared deeply for the human and it irritated him when others didn't treat her the same way.

A smile emerged on April's face when she remembered the incident, causing Raph's curiosity to peak. She let out a small giggle before finally giving the turtle a recount. "When Casey smashed the chair, its leg flew off, bounced on the coffee table, bounced on this couch's armrest, then hit me in the face. It was just a fluke accident. Casey was so shocked when he saw what had happened. He apologised and calmed down quickly afterwards, but then he thought it would be best if he left. Of course, no doubt he'll be back either later today or tomorrow. The big boofhead can stay away from me!" April retold the events, slowly cheering up as she went along. Raphael gave her a small grin and decided to sit down beside her. "So what's been happening lately?" April asked. She frowned with worry when she noticed how quickly Raph tensed up in response to the question. "Is everything alright?" She instantly sensed something was wrong.

"Leonardo got injured in a fight," Raph admitted.

"Is he alright?"

"He won't be able to battle ever again," Raph muttered almost incoherently. April stayed silent, not really knowing what to say. She knew that Leo and the family must have been devastated.

"How is he handling the news?" April asked quietly after grasping the seriousness of the situation.

"I dunno. He just sat there and stared into space. Then again, that's all he can do right now." Raphael didn't know what to do with himself. He visited April to escape the torment and tragedy of what was going on back at the lair, and yet he somehow wanted to confide in someone else about his feelings. His answers were short and blunt, as though he couldn't make a decision about what to do.

"Why can't he fight?" April was shocked, yet still curious.

"He can't move his right arm anymore. He got hit in the neck by a laser gun ray and it severed his nerves or something."

"…Who told him the news?"

"Splinter. After he gave Leo a little pep talk, we were allowed to visit him to try and raise his spirits. Didn't work though. It's like misery central over there. Bloody depressing." April could tell that Raphael was starting to feel awkward and moody about the subject. So although she was anxious to hear more about Leo's condition, she allowed him to change the course of the conversation. "Got a new guest in the lair," he started.

"Who?"

"A mouse called Eve. Created by stem cell research, I think."

"What she like?"

"A bit short, furry, brown. I dunno! She looks like a mouse!" April couldn't help but smile. She knew that Raph sometimes got frustrated due to his inability to speak eloquently. "She's weird though," Raph suddenly added.

"Why?"

"She actually digs Mikey," Raph scoffed. Despite the terrible news she had heard earlier, April couldn't help but laugh out loud at Raph's comment and disgusted facial expression.

"And what's wrong with Mikey?" April grinned, already knowing what the turtle's response would be.

"Gees, what a question! I wouldn't know where to start!" Raph teased.

"He's not that bad," April said. Raphael simply gave April a tired, disbelieving stare.

"You haven't heard his burp-phonics or burphabet yet," Raph complained, causing April to laugh again. The sad thing was that she could actually picture Mike performing those things. "Seriously, how could a girl find that attractive?"

"Love is a mysterious thing, Raph," April commented with a more sincere tone.

"As mysterious as both you and Casey?"

"Possibly."

"You know, he shouldn't treat you the way he does," Raphael commented softly. The turtle cared about April more so than the female of his own species. She had been the first person his family had ever had the opportunity to befriend, and thus it was inevitable for all four of the male turtles to develop some sort of close bond, even possibly a crush. Yet as the years rolled on, Leo slowly lost interest in April when Venus arrived, and Mike simply flitted from one girl to another. To Raph, Don was a mystery to him. Don was a loner, similar to himself, and yet he was so different in that he could control and hide his emotions. Raphael didn't know what Don's thoughts were on the matter, but regardless of his brother, Raph wanted April to himself.

"He doesn't intend to. It's just who Casey is," April defended the antics of her boyfriend although in some aspects she knew that Raph was right.

"Doesn't intend to? He knows what he's doing April! I mean sure, sometimes anger does take over. Trust me, I know it does. But Casey's an adult, not a little kid, and he should be accountable for his actions. If I were Casey, I'd treat you with respect; just like a princess," Raphael said, not knowing if he was crossing the line with his words.

"I thought Casey was your friend?"

"He is my friend, but that still doesn't give him an excuse to trash your apartment," Raph argued. To his surprise, April simply sat there and allowed Raph's words to sink in. "He doesn't deserve you. You need someone to treat you better, someone like…" Raphael trailed off before he got too carried away. April, however, wasn't going to let him slide so easily.

"Someone like who?" April wondered what the rest of his sentence was. When she stared directly into Raph's dark brown eyes, she was surprised to see a glint of fear.

"Uh…" Raphael couldn't think fast enough and it didn't take long for April to work out what he had meant. Somehow she had always known that Raphael had strong feelings for her… "I should go," Raph muttered. He felt like a fool for hoping that a mutant turtle could find love with a human. When he stood up to leave, April quickly grabbed his hand and led him back down to the couch.

"Raph, we need to work some things out. Neither of us can go on like this," April was the voice of reason. The turtle sighed, knowing that they couldn't dodge the topic forever. But if Raph left in that moment and never spoke about his feelings again, then he knew for certain that he'd have a miserable life filled with regret. April continued to hold onto his hands while she stared straight into his soft eyes. "You've always been good to me, Raph," April admitted with a certain tenderness in her voice. "Casey knows this and that's why he gets so jealous sometimes," she explained.

"Really? He's jealous?" Raphael was confused as to why anyone would envy their life.

"He's worried that I might fall for one of you," April spoke so softly that it seemed like a sin to simply listen to her conflicted whispering. They were both hurting; Raph had lost a leader, while April was on the rebound from a shattered and fragile relationship. Raphael sat still as April wrapped her arms around his neck in order to bring him into a caring embrace. In an instant Raph knew that he was right in deciding to confide in April, as just her the warmth from her touch managed to take the pain away. April swallowed before finally whispering an unspeakable confession into Raph's ear. "Casey was right in his suspicions."

As she continued to hold him, Raphael slowly wrapped his arms around her waist and started to return the hug. His right hand slowly and timidly rubbed her back in a comforting motion, as though he couldn't believe that he had finally won. For almost a decade he dreamed of April saying those words; finally admitting that he was indeed loved. Yet a part of him wondered how long April had known that she was attracted to one of them. Although what April had said was true, she still had some feelings for Casey, yet at that moment she realised that Raphael deserved a lot more. Casey's role in her life could be dealt with later. Right now it was just her and Raph.

With his body lightly trembling out of a mixture of excitement and a fear of the future, Raphael started to follow April's cues and started to subtly kiss her neck with shaking lips. For some reason, it was at that moment when Raph remembered one of Splinter's lectures. The wise rat once said that a ninja had three weaknesses that could lead to their own downfall; greed, injuries and women. The Shredder became corrupted by his own greed, while Leonardo was maimed forever; both of which could no longer be shadow warriors. Raphael knew that his love for April would one day cause problems in the future, but for the first time in his life he wanted to be foolish. He knew it was wrong to sleep with April when she was still dating Casey, but a part of him wondered whether it was possible to sin without consequence.

To April and Raphael, no one else mattered at that particular moment. Both of them were hurting and both of them sought comfort in each other. That was all. Although Raph loved her with all his heart, April couldn't admit the same thing as her feelings were tainted with the thought of revenge on Casey. Neither of them knew if they would regret their actions later on, but both of them followed their instincts anyway.

* * *

Michelangelo sighed and tiredly flicked through the television channels out of boredom. The lair was eerily quiet. Venus and Don were currently spending their time occupying Leo, Raphael was out as usual, while Splinter sat in his favourite armchair and started to read the newspaper. Stopping on no particular station, Mike tossed the remote control to the ground. With a yawn, Mike looked at the furry female form that sat beside him on the couch. It seemed that only a good shower was needed to get rid of most of the horrid dirt and grime that was mixed in with Eve's coat. The mouse was still rather bony, but Mike could still tell that she had put on some weight since she had decided to stay with the turtles. Most of the knots in her fur had been untangled, but Eve still looked far from being completely healthy; not that her appearance mattered much to Mike anyway.

Noticing Mike's silent gaze, Eve twitched her ears and gave him a shy, girlish grin. Mike responded with a smile of his own, but it was filled with melancholy and worry for his brother. Although most of the time he enjoyed livening up the lair with his antics, today he simply wasn't in the mood. With another sigh he returned to watching the television, though he almost jumped out of his shell when a small furry hand unexpectedly touched his own.

Splinter immediately looked up from his newspaper and observed the looks that were being shared between his son and Eve. Appreciating her presence and her simple gesture, Mike squeezed Eve's hand, causing the mouse to grin again. Splinter's whiskers twitched. He could have sworn that Eve glanced at him when she had smiled. The old rat held his newspaper higher and pretended to read it, even though his eyes were solely focused on the couple.

At first Mike pushed Eve away when she tried to get closer, muttering something about how he wasn't really in the mood. But the mouse was persistent, as though she didn't understand or comprehend the fact that there was sense of loss and mourning in the lair that needed to be respected. Eve didn't know how to express her feelings for Mike, nor how she should go about progressing their rather stagnant relationship. Back at the lab she grew up in, friendship was rather non-existent, and so Eve naturally had no clue on how to hold a conversation in order to verbally express her thoughts and emotions. Thus, she simply relied on the strength of body language.

With Eve constantly trying to play with him, Mike couldn't help but lighten up as well. To show that she liked him, Eve gave him a kiss on the lips; an action which Mike mistook as a sign of love and affection. Splinter continued to watch the couple from afar and was surprised once again when Eve glanced at him, even though she was making out with Michelangelo. Was it simply his imagination? Was he just seeing what he wanted to see? Or was Eve trying to invite him over - trying to show that she preferred him, and not Mike? Either way, Splinter's jealousy grew, even though he didn't want to envy his own son.

Splinter's hands tightened with resentfulness around the newspaper he was holding, causing it to crinkle and rustle. In an instant, Mike finally noticed his Master's presence and started to blush in embarrassment. "Um, sorry Sensei," Mike said, not knowing what else to say in his predicament. Eve could only giggle at Mike's 'deer-in-headlights' expression. Without saying another word, the turtle and the mouse quietly walked into Mike's train carriage, and closed the door behind them, leaving the rest to Splinter's imagination.

* * *

Venus watched as Leo's chest rose and fell with each breath he took. Donatello's fingers continued to pound and glaze over the keyboard as he continued to stare into the depths of the computer's illuminated screen. Not having anything to do, Leonardo observed Venus looking at his plastron. Five minutes later, the female turtle finally snapped out of her fixated state of mind when she finally realised that Leo had been staring at her all along. Venus gave Leo a faint smile, though he didn't return the gesture. She sighed, knowing how bitter the turtle had become over the past couple of hours since he had learnt of his condition.

With weary eyes, Venus scanned the room and noticed that the IV drip needed to be refilled. "Don, the bag's empty," she reported. Sliding away from the computer in his swivel chair, Don went to check on Leo's condition.

"Don't bother. Just let me die," Leo said sullenly, not looking at his family members.

"Don't be like that, Leo," Venus muttered while she helped Don refill the IV drip.

"Things will get better soon," Don said, though he failed to convince Leo.

"No they won't. I still won't be a ninja," Leo whispered as he tried to hold back another bout of tears.

"You'll be able to fight and practice, Leo, once you get your balance back. It's just that you won't be able to fight the Rank," Donatello corrected him, trying to keep him positive.

"A ninja who cannot fight his enemies is no ninja at all!" Leo spat, still rather bitter about the whole situation.

"Well you can still teach and reach spiritual enlightenment," Venus tried to look on the bright side.

"But I can't protect any of you in battle. I'm useless," Leo remained negative. His face was stern, and his body was straight and taut, as though he so angry with himself that he couldn't find the strength to throw a tantrum.

"You're not useless Leo," Don said, though he couldn't think of anything to say in order to back up his claim.

"I want to get the dragon that did this to me," Leo muttered under his breath.

"You've already been avenged," Venus spoke softly. Leo immediately locked eyes with her. "…Raphael killed both of the dragons," Venus informed him. Leo broke away from Venus' gaze and remained silent for a couple of minutes. Feeling that Leo had calmed back down, Don returned to his computer.

"So… so what do I do now?" Leonardo's voice wavered when he realised that his life was no longer filled with responsibility or goals. Having nothing to do was a scary new experience for the ex-leader of the clan.

"You know, there's much more to life than being a warrior," Venus reminded him. Once again Leo met Venus' gaze, though this time instead of shock, his eyes were filled with rage.

"You know what, Venus? Maybe you should practice what you preach."

To be continued…


	5. Sloth

Author's Note: Wow, it has been a while. For some reason this chapter took a while to write (also my computer broke down again... I swear I have the touch of death when it comes to electronics --;!). Anyway, for those of you who participated, I'd like to thank you all for nominating and voting for my story, Mary Sue, in the Annual TMNT Fanfic Awards. It turns out that I was nominated for two categories, Best Happy Ending and Best Comedy (not one like I said previously), and I'm honoured to announce that I won both. So thank you all once again. I really appreciate it and I hope this next chapter is to your liking.

UPDATE! The site seems to be having problems with its uploading features. I've tried to fix these mistakes, but when I attempted to upload again half the chapter was cut off :( So just tell me if you spot any formatting mistakes (wrong paragraphs underlined, repeated etc) and I'll to fix it when the site isn't so glitchy --;

Chapter Five: Sloth.

Happiness includes chiefly the idea of satisfaction after full honest effort. No one can possibly be satisfied and no one can be happy who feels that in some paramount affairs he failed to take up the challenge of life. – (Enoch) Arnold Bennett.

Tired eyes looked at the clock as it agonisingly ticked around. The lights were dim and the air was damp, but the lair was still comfy for a wise, old sewer rat. Splinter lowered his gaze to continue reading his newspaper, though he was more worried about Raphael than about political issues. In a few hours it would be dawn, and Raph still hadn't come home from his walk. Splinter didn't know how to feel, as he knew that this behaviour was expected from the turtle, but then again the old rat didn't want to lose another son.

Faint footsteps could be heard from behind, so light that Splinter almost thought that it was simply his imagination. He turned around, causing Eve to freeze on the spot. Splinter couldn't read the mixture of emotions that were spread across the mouse's face. "I thought you were asleep," Eve passively explained her tiptoeing. Splinter's nose quivered with desire his eyes looked over Eve. Every time he saw her, she grew more beautiful, more irresistible to the lonely, aging ninjitsu master. Despite the dim lighting of the subway station, her coat managed to shine with a certain new vibrancy. The tendrils of twisted masses of hair no longer existed and her nails were neatly clipped. She gave Splinter the impression that she was a pampered pedigree ready for a competitive pet show.

Eve didn't know whether she should blush or feel uncomfortable with Splinter's unwavering gaze. Whenever she spoke to him, she received the same dumbfounded reaction, as though he was a child seeing the graceful falling snow for the first time. "Why are you still up?" Eve wondered, though she didn't realise the rudeness in her question. Splinter was so enwrapped and entranced by the mouse that he almost missed hearing her words entirely. When the question finally registered in his mind, he swallowed, and for some reason thought extra carefully about his response.

"I'm waiting for Raphael," Splinter uttered as he almost forgot his reason for staying up so late.

"Why?"

"I have to speak with him. I have to decide on who's going to be the next leader of the clan," Splinter kindly informed her.

"I'm sorry about what happened to… Leonardo," Eve said as though she had been trained to say it, almost forgetting the turtle's name in the process.

"It's no one's fault," the rat said calmly, still staring straight into her eyes while not moving an inch off his favourite armchair. "How's Michelangelo?" Splinter was curious as to what his son had been doing. Eve immediately grinned, causing Splinter to suspect the worse. Yet as usual, it seemed that he had let his imagination run wild.

"He showed me how to play Uno," Eve said with a glint of excitement in her eyes. The mouse seemed to love even the simplest of things. A wave of relief swept through Splinter. Knowing that Eve wasn't likely to lie, he laid his fears to rest.

"You look nice this morning," Splinter complimented. He knew it was a dangerous move and that he was treading on thin ice. Regardless of the fact that Eve and Mike didn't get much further than a few kisses, the two still seemed to be going out. _'Then again,'_ Splinter thought. _'It's only a simple compliment. What harm can it do?'_

Eve smiled and looked to the floor in bashfulness, feeling the prettiest she had ever been in her life. "Thank you. Mikey found some shampoo and conditioner I could use," Eve explained while she ran her left paw down the silky smooth fur of her right arm. Splinter smiled at her reaction, knowing that she was easy to please. He was on the verge of inviting Eve to take a seat on the nearby couch when Raphael decided to enter the lair. With a heavy heart, Splinter had to abandon his conversation with Eve so he could talk to Raph privately in his carriage. Quickly feeling neglected, Eve looked around. Most of the lair's inhabitants were sleeping, however Don's train carriage was still illuminated with a welcoming light. Curious to see how either the injured or brainy turtle was coping, Eve quietly crept over for an early morning visit.

* * *

The streets of New York City was filled the hustle and bustle of the early morning peak hour traffic, though none of the creatures residing underneath in the labyrinth of sewer tunnels even noticed. Donatello's nostrils dilated as he breathed in the hot steam rising out of the kettle. Knowing that the water had boiled, he yawned and switched the kitchen appliance off at the power point. After attempting to rub the tiredness out of his eyes, he soundlessly poured himself a cup of tea. He sat down at the dining table and repeatedly dunked the tea bag in and out of the hot water and set himself a calm, mindless rhythm. The movement and herbal scents were so relaxing that it started to take his mind off the many thoughts and worries that drifted by. He was so focused on his tea bag that he didn't even see Michelangelo enter the room and sit down at the table opposite him. 

"Who's in Splinter's room? Raph? Venus?" Mike wondered. Donatello's body rattled with shock when his brother's voice shattered the peaceful morning silence.

"Huh?"

"Someone's talking in there. Listen." Both turtles fell silent. Straining his ears trying to hear past the stillness of the room, sure enough there was some underlying murmuring. Don wondered why he hadn't heard it sooner, but he figured it was because he was so fatigued and his senses weren't as acute.

"I dunno who it is," Don admitted.

"I wonder what they're saying?"

"If it's important, we'll find out soon enough," Donatello reasoned, followed by a shrug of the shoulders. He slowly grabbed a spoon and twirled the tea bag around it, carefully squeezing as much moisture from it as possible. "Actually, come to think of it, Eve said something about Splinter picking a new leader," Don remembered.

"When did Eve say that?"

"Earlier this morning. She says a lot of things," Don said as a small grin slowly crept over his face.

"Did she say anything about me?" Mike asked in a curious manner. He girlishly batted his eyelids to try and convince Don to answer his vain question. The purple-wearing turtle smirked in response.

"Yeah. She told me that you made out in front of Splinter!" Donatello cackled as Mike's face went whiter.

"She told you that!" Mike screeched with embarrassment. Don's shoulders shook from all the giggling. "Stop laughing!"

"Out of all the people in the world, you had to-"

"-I know! I know! I was distracted, okay! Sheesh! I'll never live this down," Mike grumbled. Don took another sip of his tea in an attempt to try and calm himself again.

"So, do you like her?" Don asked, becoming serious once again.

"Yeah…"

"You sound unsure."

"I dunno. She's just weird. Like sometimes she's shy, sometimes she's outgoing. Hot one minute, cold the next," Mike said.

"I think she just doesn't have enough experience in socialising with others. I can't imagine that the scientists would have spoke to her that much while she was stuck in that stem cell research lab. She's probably held more conversations now than ever before in her life," Don analysed.

"…Maybe," Mike considered Don's reasoning. "I s'pose that explains why she enjoys just about anything. For instance, last night, in my room, we played Uno for four hours straight!"

"She just hasn't spent that much time living in our world. No doubt it'll take her a while to discover how to react to others, what unspoken moral codes there are, and what should be said and what shouldn't. Until then, you're probably the best thing for her, since she'll learn faster the more she trusts and speaks to you," Donatello reassured Mike that dating Eve would only bring benefits in the long run. Mike smiled, feeling reassured. Yet the turtle still felt like a fool. Last night it took all of his mental energy to push Eve away, and in a hurry he suggested playing a game of Uno instead, which the mouse readily accepted as an alternative. Although he felt uncomfortable at the time, a part of him still wanted the experience and he cringed at the fearful thought that he might never get the opportunity ever again.

"So who do you think is going to be the new leader?" Mike changed the subject because he didn't know how to tell Don about what may have happened the night before. He desperately wanted to know if he did the right thing in turning Eve down, but he felt rather uncomfortable in bringing it up in conversation.

"Whoever gets chosen, I hope it's not me."

"You're not interested in being the leader?"

"I don't think I ever have been. I'm really content with my life right now," Donatello explained just before taking another sip of his morning drink. "How about you?"

"Well, I can't say that I've never thought about it. Although I'd love all the privileges of ordering you guys around, I honestly think that I wouldn't be able to handle the job."

"How so?"

"Heh, well let's just say that if Leo was the Fearless Leader, then I'll be the Fearful Leader!" Mike smirked. Don smiled, knowing his brother all too well. If there were a hundred dragons or Foot soldiers lined up ready to battle on a rooftop, on a dark, stormy night… Don knew that Mike would probably run in the other direction. Although Michelangelo loved to help the innocent, he also loved his life.

"Well I guess that leaves either Raph or Venus," Don narrowed the choices down. There was a long silence, which was only occasionally broken when Don sipped at his cooling tea.

"I'd prefer Venus," Michelangelo finally admitted. Donatello had been thinking along the same lines as well.

"We'd be underestimated and teased by our enemies, being led by a female," Don warned, thinking about the pros and cons.

"Well it's better than being led straight into traps!" Mike commented on Raphael's recklessness.

"Raph would never follow Venus' lead though…"

"Well he never followed Leo's lead either," Mike reasoned. "Let's face it. She's levelheaded, smart, decisive and an excellent fighter-"

"-I know," Don agreed.

"I don't see why she can't be the leader."

"Because of Splinter. He'll never allow it. The fact that Raphael will complain about the decision for years to come also doesn't help," Donatello pointed out the facts. Michelangelo nodded meekly and slowly accepted the harsh reality of the situation. Another rather long silence followed.

"How's Leo?" Mike thought to ask.

"He's alright. Grumpy, but alright."

"Will he get better soon?"

"I sure hope he does. For his sake and mine."

"Has he been testing you?"

"A little bit. I don't blame the guy for feeling the way he does, but after a while I just feel depressed. It's too much. I know that Leo has to stay in my room since he has to be observed, but I honestly can't wait until he can take more care of himself. I'm probably a jerk for saying that, but it's just how I feel," Don confessed as he rubbed his gentle hands over the warm porcelain base of the cup. He was thankful that Venus was also by Leo's side yesterday, and yet he raised an eye-ridge at the length of time she was there. Don always suspected some attraction between the two turtles, but if they did, they never seemed to show it. Not openly at any rate. He wondered if Leo and Venus were simply reluctant; too proud in being ninjas to worry about other things.

"I don't blame you for thinking that way. We all know that Leo is Mr. Doom and Gloom lately."

"Yeah, he is a bit like that," Don muttered before taking another sip of his tea. Mike watched as Don tilted his head back further, finishing his drink. A loud thump startled the two turtles. Extremely worried, they both ran over to Donatello's carriage and loudly slid open the door. Leonardo was on the floor. They watched in a mixture of amazement and saddened worry as Leo balanced his weight on his good arm and leg. His left elbow shook from the pressure as the injured turtle struggled to keep his right knee straight. Slowly but surely, Leo managed a pushup.

"One," Leo uttered as his limbs wobbled from the strain. "T, Two," he managed a second.

"Leo! You should be resting!" Don said, coming back to his senses after being mesmorised by Leo's will power.

"No!" Leo cried out as he performed another pushup. Donatello and Michelangelo tried to pick the turtle up off the floor and back onto the bed, but Leo struggled and fought against them. He fell back to the ground. Don and Mike were going to try and pick him up again, but stopped when they saw the tears of anguish in their ex-leader's eyes. "Leave me alone!" His distressed call came across as a plea.

"Leo… you shouldn't be exerting yourself like this," Don tried to reason with the stubborn turtle. With a heartbroken expression, Leo sat upright and tried to hold back his tears.

"I don't want to be like this," he whispered in remorse. "I don't want to be lazy."

"You're not lazy; you're just injured," Don calmly said, trying to remind his brother that because his body needed to rest, it didn't necessarily mean that he was useless and incompetent. Mike and Don moved forward once again and this time Leo allowed them to lift him back into the bed.

"I want my life back," Leo mumbled. Don and Mike held their breath, neither of them knowing what to say to the turtle to convince him that things would get better, not worse. Luckily, at that exact moment, Raphael exited Splinter's room and walked over to join the rest of his comrades.

"Can I talk to Leo for a second?" Raph asked. Somewhat relieved that their gloomy conversation was interrupted, Don and Mike didn't complain about Raph's request and quickly left the room soon after. Raphael pulled Don's computer chair from his desk, swiveled it round and sat on it the wrong way so his forearms could lean on the backrest. Leonardo mutely gazed at him briefly before turning his head to stare at the ceiling without showing any sign of emotion.

"Splinter told me that I am going to be the new leader of the clan," Raphael announced. Leo didn't even move. His whole body turned numb from hearing those words. Raph drummed his fingers against the seat's backrest while he waited a whole minute for Leo to respond. "So that's it? No congratulations, no complaints, no tips?" Raph wondered when his brother was going to snap out of his quiet unperturbed state. It soon became clear that Leo wasn't going to say anything at all. What could he say? "I slept with April," Raph goaded his brother in a joking manner as though he made the incident up only to see if there would be a response. Yet no answer came, not even a glance.

Leonardo gritted his teeth and clenched and unclenched his left fist. He was so angry at the whole situation. He was no longer the leader. He could no longer protect his family. He could no longer be a proper ninja. All of it simply added insult to injury. A small part of him knew that Splinter had to make a choice, and Raph was the most obvious candidate, but the whole thing just aggravated him to no end. Following the old saying and biting his tongue, Leo simply didn't have anything nice to say, and thus he remained as quiet as a mouse.

"Fine. Be like that," Raphael grumped and stormed out of the room. He honestly didn't know what he wanted from Leo. Was it acknowledgment, respect or jealousy that he wanted from the turtle? To Raph, becoming leader had been a bittersweet victory. Just like anyone else, he was mortified by what happened to Leo, and Raph himself had made sure that he had been avenged. Yet there still was competitive streak that seemed to fire through his veins; some reptilian instinct that wanted to be the Alpha male. In the past twenty-four hours, Raphael had succeeded in everything he wanted; leadership status, recognition from Splinter and most importantly, a woman to love. On the other hand, Leo had lost everything that was significant in his life, and Venus was very close to following in his footsteps.

Raphael stood in the middle of the living room and crossed his arms. Mike and Don had returned to their seats at the dining table and were content at simply staring blankly into space. A shift of movement caught their eyes when Venus finally emerged from her train carriage. "Good morning Venus," Raphael greeted with a smile he couldn't contain. The female raised an eye-ridge, wondering why he was being so cocky, especially since it was still rather early in the morning.

"What's going on?" Venus asked, figuring that something was up.

"I was just about to call a family meeting," Raph replied rather coolly.

"Should I get Leo?" Don asked, rising halfway out of his seat. Raphael simply gestured for him to sit down again.

"No need. I've already told him," Raph dismissed. "I spoke to Master Splinter this morning and he feels that it would be best if I was the leader," the turtle informed them. Although he felt like he was over the moon, he still tried to speak in a relatively sincere manner. No one was particularly shocked since they all somewhat expected it, but Venus was still nevertheless displeased about the decision.

"So now that you're the leader, why don't you tell us how we are going to fix the dragon problem?" Venus asked with an annoyed tone.

"Dragon problem?" Raph was baffled.

"The number of dragons searching the sewers in our particular area has doubled, possibly tripled over the past twenty-four hours," Donatello informed him from his seat at the table.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I spent most of last night tracking them on my Eye-In-The-Sky computer program," Don said.

"Well then we'll just have to go out and fight them!" Raph ordered, already getting irritated by all the little bits of information and the serious decisions he was expected to make.

"But Don and I have only had a few hours sleep," Mike whined.

"So? You look fine to me," Raph retorted.

"Raph, when someone has less than six hours worth of sleep, their reflexes are as slow as someone who's intoxicated with alcohol," Don reasoned.

"Really? I think I'd prefer to be drunk than tired," Mike said with a yawn.

"Well get some sleep then! Geez! Do I have to make every little decision for ya?" Raphael said, quickly getting annoyed with trying to organise everybody.

"Raph, I can go out and fight some dragons with you," Venus offered.

"But Splinter doesn't want you to fight," Raph muttered under his breath, though Venus was still able to hear his comment. The female turtle stood still, mouth open in shock while she tried to comprehend Splinter's logic.

"After all that has happened, he still thinks I shouldn't fight?!" Venus' voice bordered that of a screech.

"He just wants someone to stay back and look after Leo," Raphael said, not realising how his comment could be misinterpreted into something really sexist.

"Splinter's got two hands. He can do it himself! There's also Eve. Let's not forget about her," Venus debated.

"Where is Eve anyway?" Mike suddenly asked, butting into the conversation. He wanted to try and calm things back down, but instead he received an angry glare from Venus.

"She's currently sleeping in my room; where she should have been all of last night," Venus quipped, somewhat irritated with all the shenanigans the mouse got up to the previous night - traveling from room to room, turtle to turtle.

"Eve's a guest and Splinter doesn't really know what to do," Raph defended the rat's decision.

"No. It's not that at all! Splinter's playing favourites with Eve and simply making up excuses!"

"Look. It's Splinter's decision and that's that!"

"Last time you went out without me, Leo was horribly injured. Now you're one man down, and yet you think that you'll be able to defeat twice as many dragons with just you three, even though all four of you couldn't do it last time!"

"You're such a hypocrite! Not even five minutes ago you were suggesting that only you and I go out!"

"That's because I'm…" Venus paused before she said any more, but Raph still picked up the gist of her last sentence.

"You're what? Better? Geez! You're just like Leo, you know that? You think you're so much better than everyone else, as though you walk around like your shit doesn't stink! Well guess what, Venus? I got chosen as leader, and as leader I get authority over you. Now when I say that you're not welcome, I mean it! My decision's final! Now everybody get some fucking sleep!" Raphael barked his orders in an arrogant fashion before storming off towards his own room. He was completely fed up with the others and honestly wished that he could have just spent the day with April.

"Nice leader you've got there," Venus hissed as she stormed over towards her own room. She slammed her door, waking up Eve in the process. Don and Mike looked at each other from across the table.

"We've got such a happy family," Mike said with a cheerful voice and a big cheesy grin, causing Don to lightly smile at his sarcasm. Yet underneath all the jokes, Michelangelo knew that the worse was yet to come.

* * *

It was only late afternoon, yet it seemed it was already past midnight. Everyone was still sleeping, so the lair was rather quiet with only the occasional little snore to break the stillness of the air. Venus looked around her room to see if she had missed anything before zipping up her bag, being careful not to wake the little mutant mouse that slept in the corner. She sighed at the single garment that was neatly folded on her bed. In a series of silent movements, Venus fondly slipped on her full length black cloak. It the same piece of clothing she wore when she first met the boys and it brought back numerous memories, both sad and delightful. Feeling fully prepared, she reluctantly picked up her packed bag and moved it into the living room. 

The ladder that led to the exit was only a few feet away and yet Venus experienced a sudden urge to stay. Feeling guilty, Venus quickly scribbled down a blunt, yet thoughtful note before leaving it on the kitchen table for all to see. But something still nagged at her conscience. She really wanted someone to confide in, though Mike and Don would try to change her mind, Eve would gossip and Raph and Splinter were completely out of the question. However there was one turtle that she dearly wanted to say goodbye to.

Venus smiled when she found Donatello asleep in his computer chair, however he wasn't the one who she wanted to talk to. Stealthily she crept into the room and stood silently at Leo's bedside. She wasn't surprised to find him asleep as well, since that was one of the only things he could still do. Venus lightly ran her fingers down his right arm, knowing that he would never feel a thing, yet she would still experience the comforting contact that she sought to find. Her hand skimmed over his numb muscles and she admired the honourable warrior that he once was, though her thoughts saddened due to the horrible reality of it all when she reached the IV drip attached to the back of his hand. Then, acting purely on impulse, she leaned in and kissed the sleeping form on the lips.

It was faint and brief, but Venus could think of no better way to say goodbye. If either of them had found the time earlier before everything in their lives had started to fall apart, then a beautiful relationship may have formed. Now, under the current circumstances and Splinter's wishes, their love for each other would have been fully supported, yet for some reason Venus felt that it was now forbidden. She had always liked Leo, but she was greatly ashamed for her emotions; so threatened that she couldn't even answer Eve's simple question about which guy she liked. Venus felt that if she liked Leo, then she was indirectly obeying Splinter's will, which she was greatly opposed. She didn't want her inescapable fate to come true. The female didn't want to love Leo, but her heart had a mind of its own. Although she liked the feminist ideals that existed in the States, deep down she knew that Leo was her weakness and therefore she felt she couldn't show her true emotions.

Leaving Leo's side, she took one last glance at Don, Leo and the rest of the lair, before finally making her solo ascent to the outside world. A few minutes later, Leonardo's eyes slowly fluttered open. The turtle was woken up from the tiniest of touches, so sweet that the trace, the feeling, had almost disappeared altogether. He tenderly rubbed his lips with his left hand, wondering if it was real or simply a dream. Leo sighed in contentment and closed his eyes so he could try to remember what exactly he had felt, but he slowly drifted off to sleep again soon after.

* * *

_'What a waste of a day,'_ Splinter thought as he emerged from his room. Due to the high amounts of stress that had built up within the clan, none of the turtles accomplished anything except catching up on some lost hours of sleep. Raphael was unable to encourage the others and failed to formulate a plan, and so in the end nothing was achieved. _'It would have been different with Leonardo…'_ Splinter grimly reminisced. He knew that Raphael wasn't exactly a 'people-person', but he still thought that he was the best choice. No matter what, he was going to remain firm on his decision. 

Nightfall had arrived, but there was still no sign of movement in the lair. Knowing that most of his sons were approaching an adequate amount of sleep, he knew that they were going to be restless in the days to come, now that their body clocks were flipped around. Suspecting that they would wake soon, Splinter fixed his tattered robe and considered making a cup of tea. He stopped when he saw a peculiar, folded piece of paper placed conspicuously in the very centre of the kitchen table. His long fingers uncurled and carefully picked it up. Splinter's old eyes squinted in the dim light as he read the fluid and rushed handwriting.

It has become clear to me that I am no longer appreciated or needed within this family. After some serious thinking, I have decided to leave. Dragon Lord is my problem and I intend to fix it. I only hope that my actions bring me the honour that I have recently lost.

To Splinter: In my eyes, your reasoning has brought dishonour and hardship to us all. I have nothing more to say to you.

To Raphael: Just remember that pride comes before a fall.

To Donatello: Please look after Leo. If I should fail, then make sure that you get to safety. Keep watching those dragons.

To Michelangelo: I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier. Don't ever change. You're perfect the way you are. Never lose that sense of humour.

To Leonardo: Don't lose hope. You have people you love you very dearly. Never give up.

To Eve: If you choose to stay, then be prepared to fill my place in cleaning the dishes.

Yours sincerely,

Venus de Milo.

Splinter sighed deeply and questioned whether he should show the others the rather spiteful letter. It was obvious that Venus was extremely angry with him, but the ninjitsu master still felt that he was right in the long run. By sacrificing the goals and dreams of one of his students, he wanted to ensure that the clan would continue. He hoped that one day that Venus would understand his way of thinking even though she currently felt victimised. It was her natural duty, and he was certain that the responsibility haunted her in the back of her mind.

A glint of movement caught his eye, and soon after his breath was caught as well. Once again Splinter stood flabbergasted at the sight of Eve. He didn't know why he was acting the way he did. He was usually quite comfortable around guests and unknown people. But for some reason Eve had that paralysing effect on him, and Splinter was extraordinarily curious to find out why.

"Up again?" Eve asked sweetly.

"Uh-huh," Splinter uttered, his gaze seemingly glued to her.

"Is anyone awake?" The mouse was curious.

"No. Just us," Splinter said. "I was just about to make myself a cup of tea."

"Tea? I haven't had that before."

"I'll make you one then," Splinter offered. He pulled out a chair and gestured for Eve to sit. She didn't even question his actions before complying. "Are you enjoying your stay here?" Splinter started to make conversation while he poured some water into the kettle to boil.

"Yep."

"Has everyone been nice to you?"

"Yep," Eve repeated, not thinking about the questions for too long. For the next few minutes, the mouse bit at her nails while Splinter finished making the tea. When he made himself comfortable at the table, he started speaking once again.

"Do you like it?" Splinter asked as he watched Eve timidly try the steaming drink. The mouse suddenly jerked her head away from the cup.

"It's really hot!" she hissed. Splinter simply chuckled at her innocence.

"That's what tea's supposed to be," he answered carefully. The old rat took a sip of his own before staring seriously at the young girl. "Eve, have you ever been scared about how short your life may be?"

"Not really." Once again she didn't think about what she was being asked. "Three years is a long time," she naïvely added.

"I sometimes feel that my life is coming to an end soon," Splinter admitted while he gently fingered the handle of the cup. "Looking at you makes me feel young."

Eve tilted her head and pondered over Splinter's words. "How?"

"A wise man once said that age is only a state of mind," Splinter quoted. "We both might have the same amount of years left, and yet you are so full of life. Unlike myself, you don't dwell on those problems and simply enjoy each moment as it comes. I suppose you are correct in saying that three years is a long time for those who spend it wisely," Splinter philosophized. Eve didn't exactly understand everything he was saying, but she gave him a kind smile and tried to sip her tea again.

From observing her antics and expression, Splinter knew that Eve didn't love Michelangelo – or so he hoped that she didn't like him that way, for Splinter wasn't going to back down on this opportunity. It was amoral to have such wishes of being with Eve especially when Mike was still in the picture, but what was more important in the long run? At that moment Splinter realised that he wouldn't be truly content if his son won this war of the heart. Morals and personal fantasies simply couldn't coexist. As Mike had his whole life ahead of him, Splinter figured that he would encounter many more relationship prospects when compared to himself and his last, withering years. His feelings surrounding Eve were too strong to ignore and so then and there he made up his mind to ignore all other problems and simply do what would make him happy. All he wanted to do was make the best of his remaining years, and Eve was the key.

To be continued…

Author's Note: I have to agree with some of my reviewers that the two pairings (Mike and Eve, Raph and April) formed rather quickly, but both are crucial to the plot and I hope that Mike and Eve are sorted out better in this chapter. Originally I planned to add a bit more of the story to this chapter, but I felt it was getting too long and Splinter probably ended it stronger anyway. There was going to be a bit more about Raph and April, but I've decided to just do more of it next chapter.


	6. Wrath

Rene – For once the site was to blame for the repeated paragraph, not me ;) Yeah, rats and mice have lots of offspring… but then again a turtle can lay three clutches of eggs, sometimes with up to one-hundred in each clutch! Currently I'm trying to ignore a horrible plot-bunny where Venus has three hundred children, for the obvious reason that no decent plot would come out of it -.-!

Chibiroseangel, Auri1 and governmentcontractor – I'm glad that you're accepting Venus. On the show she tends to be a bit more annoying and naïve than what I portray her to be. I know that Venus has this stigma attached to her, and I'm just glad that readers like yourselves can look past that and enjoy the story as a whole :D I know some people who won't even read a story if Venus' name is in the description o.0!

Chapter Six: Wrath.

Be convinced that to be happy means to be free and that to be free means to be brave. Therefore do not take lightly the perils of war. – Thucydides.

"Yo Don!" Casey unconventionally greeted from the top of the ladder that led into the subway station lair. Curious, Donatello emerged from his room. An awkward, shuffling noise was heard before the turtle spotted Casey slowly descending down the metal rungs. His movements were uncoordinated and Don questioned for moment as to whether the man was seriously injured, but upon closer inspection the reptile found out that Casey was trying to climb down while carrying a full-length mirror at the same time. It didn't take long for Casey to almost lose his balance and his grip on the sleek, reflective object, but he managed to hold onto the ladder with a spare hand. "Uh, I could use some help here," Casey requested when he discovered he was rather stuck.

With a little grin, Don ran over to help. With steady hands, the turtle gratefully pried the mirror out of Casey's precarious one-handed grip so that he could climb down the rest of the way safely. "Hope that's what you were looking for," Casey wondered as he jumped off the last few rungs.

"It's perfect," Don said as he admired the large mirror. "I hope it wasn't too much trouble," Don frowned with worry, knowing how awkward it would have been to carry the large object through the sewers.

"Nah, as long as it helps Leo," Casey shrugged, even though he was slightly annoyed with the difficulty of the task he had been bestowed. Hearing all the commotion resounding in the living room, Raphael emerged from his train carriage to see what all the fuss was about. He quickly regretted his actions. "Hey Raph! How'd the brain transplant go?" Casey playfully teased as soon as he saw his long-time reptilian friend. Raphael, however, felt uncomfortable around the human, completely sick to the stomach knowing that he had slept with his girlfriend. He quickly became nervous and cautious, simply wondering if Casey knew the truth.

"Um, yeah," Raph stammered, though by the time he voiced a response he had already forgotten what the original question was. Casey was taken aback for a moment, rather surprised at Raph's weird answer, but he figured that the turtle was simply depressed about Leonardo's condition. Donatello thought otherwise, immediately sensing that something was wrong.

"Haven't seen you in a while," Casey commented. "I was beginning to think you were avoiding me!" he joked, glad to see his old buddy again.

"Yeah… avoiding," Raphael tried to chuckle at the idea, though Don could still see that he was nervous.

"Well, I can't stay around for long. So I hope Leo does alright with the mirror," Casey mentioned while he referred to the conversation he had with Donatello over the phone. Casey looked at his watch as a signal that he was pressed for time. He hated being in the sewers anyway.

"Why not?" Don was curious about his reason to leave. None of them had seen Casey in a while, and Donatello desperately wanted someone else apart from his immediate family to speak to. However Casey really wasn't the chatting type. The man had first heard about Leo's condition from April, and he made a phone call explaining his condolences towards the mutant family as soon as he had a spare minute. When he asked if there was anything he could to do to help, Donatello brought up the idea of bringing a mirror. Casey still didn't understand why the mirror was needed, but Don assured him that it was important, so he brought the spare, disowned object from his garage along anyway. Although the turtle and the human had spoken with saddened feelings about Leo, the whole exchange only lasted a total of ten minutes. It was true that even in the most terrible of tragedies, Casey was still a man of few words. Just like Raph.

"I've already promised April that I'd help her move furniture tonight. She just wants to rearrange a few things in the antique store. I've gotta do a few things at home first though," Casey informed them. Raphael's whole body froze when he heard Casey say something unexpected.

"Um… I guess I'll see you there then," Raph said rather slowly, not sure how the man would react.

"What do you mean?" Casey asked.

"Well April asked me to help out at the antique store as well," Raphael cautiously explained. He raised his right hand and rubbed the back of his neck. Reading his body language, Don could easily tell that Raph found the situation rather awkward.

"…So April invited you along?" Casey was curious though secretly annoyed. He honestly thought that it would have been just him and April. Although he enjoyed the turtles' company, he still wanted to spend some quality time with the woman that he liked. In the same way, Raphael had also thought that he'd be able to spend the night alone with April. Yet it was clear that she had invited both of them along, without letting other one know.

"I guess so," Raph shrugged and pretended like it was no big deal. Casey acted the same way.

"Well… I'll see you at seven then," Casey confirmed, though his voice contained a hint of disappointment.

"Yeah, see ya," the turtle mumbled his goodbye. Don and Raph watched as Casey slowly ascended the ladder once again.

"Is anything wrong, Raph?" Don asked, rather worried.

"Nah, it's cool," Raphael brushed his brother's comment off.

"Is everything alright between you and Casey?" Don blatantly pushed for more information.

"Yes! Everything's fine!" Raphael said it with more force than he had intended. Don frowned, knowing the exact opposite to what the turtle had said was true. Something was wrong, and it was clear that Raph didn't want to talk about it. Being smart, Don dropped the topic and watched as Raphael slowly meandered back into his room.

Casting a sigh, Don tightly gripped the sides of the mirror with his two hands and made his way back over to his train carriage. "Hey Leo. Look what I got you," Don said. Leo opened his eyes and lifted his head off the pillow so he could get a better look from the bed.

"What's that for?" Leo was confused.

"I'm going to try and get you back up and walking today. So you'll need a way to see yourself, so you can tell if you're leaning one way or the other," Don informed him while he propped the mirror against the wall so it stood opposite the injured turtle. Leonardo seemed to sigh with relief; he was finally able to move forward in his life. "You won't need this anymore," Don said as he removed the IV drip from Leo's numb hand. After checking a few other things like the bandages and stitches, Don briskly cleared the floor of rubbish, particularly the area around the bed. "You ready for this?" Don asked, once he felt everything was prepared.

Leonardo nodded. "Ready as I'll ever be."

"Okay," Don said as he gathered his thoughts. He hadn't rehabilitated someone before and he had only got the general gist of the procedures from websites and medical-based reality television programs. "Okay," Don repeated. "I want you to try and sit up by yourself," he ordered, attempting to sound professional. Without complaint, Leonardo tried. The turtle aimed to sit up quickly, though Leo hadn't anticipated the heaviness of his arm. The limb caused his shoulders to twist unexpectedly, and he quickly lost his balance as the dead weight dragged him back down to the mattress. "You okay?" Don asked as he reached out to help his brother.

"Yeah I'm fine," Leo muttered, annoyed at how he couldn't perform such a simple task.

"Don't rush yourself. You need to take time to get used to things," Don advised. Caring and capable hands wrapped around Leo's shoulders as Don faithfully pulled his downhearted brother into a sitting position. Dispirited, Leo slowly raised his eyes from off the floor so he could look himself squarely in the mirror that Casey had brought. Immediately he could tell that he was not sitting up straight, even though he felt he was stable. "You're leaning to your right too much," Don stated the obvious. "You'll just have to consciously lean the other way more, even though it might feel odd or awkward," once again Don tried to calmly instruct his brother, without making him feel belittled.

Yet Leonardo did what he was told, as he was completely determined on getting better. Don couldn't help but smile at his attitude knowing that the more a patient wanted to get well, the less time they would spend in rehabilitation. "Wanna try and walk now?" Don inquired when Leo seemed to feel comfortable in a sitting position. After a nod of agreement, Donatello guided his brother forward and tried to get him to stand. Immediately Leo hissed and rapidly sat back down on the bed. "What's wrong?" Don was worried.

"My knee," Leo groaned as he rubbed it with his working hand. "It's still sore."

Donatello stood and rubbed his chin as he tried to come up with a solution. "I'll be right back," he promised. Leonardo continued to sit upright as he waiting for Don to return, not daring to lie back down again. He was only gone for a few minutes. Leo watched as Don re-entered, this time holding a familiar object. It was one of Splinter's canes. The old rat had two walking sticks; one concealed a hidden blade while the other was simply your average wooden staff, which was the one Donatello had brought. "He said you could borrow this," Don said as he graciously handed Leo the cane. In a way, Leonardo felt honoured to hold one of his Master's most cherished possessions, yet that feeling of uselessness seemed to swell up from the bottom of his soul once again. Despite the age difference, Splinter had chosen to keep the weapon, while Leo had been reduced to an old man. Being handed the simple walking stick only reminded Leo of the torturous notion that he could no longer fight.

With the aid of the cane and Don's helping hand, Leo managed to stand. Using the mirror that was transported into the sewers by his friend, he was able to adjust his weight distribution accordingly. It was a long and often painstaking process, but with his strong determination, by the end of the 'lesson' Leo could walk by himself with the use of the cane. Donatello sat back in his computer chair and watched as Leo hobbled around his room, completely exhilarated by the movement of his own body. Looking at his older brother, Don knew that the simple things in life such as health, family and love shouldn't be taken for granted and that each in itself was capable of lifting the hearts of men. Though he could do it most of his life, Leonardo was happier by the fact that he was walking more than ever before. It was clear to Don that Leo's long road to recovery only proved the old saying true; only after we lose something we learn and appreciate how important it was in the first place.

A true smile of happiness and pure delight lighted up Leo's face. It was one more step towards independence again. "I think you'll be able to sleep in your own bed tonight," Don commented, rather relieved himself that he could have his privacy back.

"Thank you Don," Leo credited with a warm smile. It was the first time in days that he had the luxury to see that the future was not so bleak after all. "Where's Venus? I want to surprise her," Leo said with an almost childlike sense of excitement, as though he was a teenager again who wanted to show off his new fighting skills in front of the girl he liked. Donatello had rarely ever seen the turtle so grateful and happy, and in a way Don thought that maybe the worst case scenario brought out the best in him. Yet he sighed when he knew that the next bit of information was going to wash away that glint of joy again.

"She left," Don said. Leo looked at him as if he hadn't heard Don correctly.

"Left where?"

"She moved out." Leonardo fell silent after hearing Don's words. A mixture of emotions crept out and swamped his body, but the main problem he had was with the fact that he didn't know her reasons for leaving. Venus, along with Don, had stayed with him during his time of darkness, and now that she had gone, Leo suddenly felt deserted. Hearing the news, Leo's personal victory didn't feel as special or as important any more.

* * *

He was early, and that's what he wanted. It was a cold night. The wind tunneled and tore down through the streets, being strengthened by the concrete buildings that were so predominant in the city landscape. Clouds billowed and buckled as they threatened to rain, but Raphael had no fear since he had confidence in the nightly weather report that said it would remain dry. Yet that still didn't mean that a thunderstorm couldn't brew overhead. 

"Hi April," Raphael greeted as he opened the door to her antique shop. The lady smiled, though it faded when she realised what time it was.

"You're fifteen minutes early," April stated, somewhat surprised. The guys were usually either on time or late due to their busy lives…

"I had to talk to you before Casey got here," Raph said. He wasn't entirely sure, but for a split second he thought he saw hesitation rise up through April's small build.

"What about?" April said after she cleared her throat. She pretended to look preoccupied by grabbing a nearby broom and sweeping the floor. It was easy to tell that things were getting awkward.

"Well… for starters, why'd you invite Casey? I thought it'd just be… well I dunno… you and me," Raphael stated, starting to feel insecure about his relationship with the human.

"Well I have some heavy things to move, and it would just be easier if I had two guys to help me," April answered logically.

"You could have told me," Raph felt betrayed.

"Well I'm sorry that you felt otherwise. I just wanted to get the job done," April defended her decision. The love that used to be in her gaze was no longer there. Unlike the turtle, she found the whole experience with Raph rather uncomfortable and unnerving. While she had succeeded in getting the love and attention she needed at the time, no warmth emanated from the reptile's shell or skin. His plastron was hard, not soft like a human's skin, and while overall she didn't mind the whole experience, it was the little differences that alerted her to the fact that what she had done was simply not right.

April often liked to think of the turtles as being green-clothed humans, but after her night with Raph she knew that her thoughts were all part of a fantastic delusion. Not matter how much she tried to deny it in her mind, Raphael wasn't like her, or like any other man, and thus any relationship that would result would be extremely risky and unpredictable. She was too scared of the implications Raph's love brought, and like any other human, April wanted to make her life simpler, not more complicated. That night just reminded her of the fact that there was so much she didn't know about the creatures she had befriended, and how foreign they really were when compared to her own species.

As much as she didn't want to, deep down she regretted the adulterated time she spent with Raphael. There was no love behind her actions, only the feeling of wanting to spite Casey. She still had mixed feelings for Casey though, and she wondered if there was a future at all with him. Yet her answer to Raphael's question still remained true; while she could have moved most of the objects in the antique store with only the help of one, she decided on inviting both of them so she could avoid being left alone with either. But that didn't stop Raphael from changing things around.

"You haven't told Casey anything, have you?" Raph worried.

"No."

"…Do you still love him?" Raphael asked as the approached her, feeling rather uncertain of the relationship he had only just begun with April.

"He hasn't been told anything different," April murmured.

"Well… then what about us?" Raphael was desperate to find out what April's thoughts were on the matter. April sighed at the mess she had created. She was now dating two unstable men, one of which was going to get their heart broken.

"I, I don't want to talk about this before Casey arrives," April tried once again to avoid the conversation. Raphael took that as a bad answer.

"Then what was I? Some experimental fling!" The turtle quickly turned aggressive. All he wanted was the truth, but April knew that that would hurt him the most.

"Raph… It was a mistake. Okay! It was just sex, that's it," April muttered at first, then started to get irritated with all the questions. It was the last thing Raphael wanted to know. Throughout his entire life he had heard those words, and he loathed it every time. His mutation was a mistake. His attitude was a mistake. His very existence and role in a human world was a mistake. But the last thing he wanted was to add his happiest moment to his long list of 'mistakes'.

"Just sex? Is that all I am to you?" Raphael raised his voice. He couldn't comprehend how April could feel so differently to him. How could she be so blind as to want to stay with Casey? Yet that wasn't what bothered him. Raphael viewed that night as an important event in the history of his life, yet it shattered his heart to think that April could toss the words, touches and love aside and classify it as something horribly unspeakable. His dream was her nightmare.

April knew that she had to quickly do some damage control in order to try and calm the turtle down. "Raph, I was really hurting that night. I just really wanted to have someone close… I'm sorry," she apologised for her current feelings.

"I was hurting too, April," Raph admitted as he lowered his voice.

"But it's just not meant to be, Raph," April whispered. She looked around the room while she said her words, feeling completely hopeless in front of the male turtle.

"Why isn't it meant to be?"

"Because you used me, Raph!" April became frustrated again as the tears formed in her eyes threatened to fall. "I was just so confused that night… You took advantage of the situation," April claimed.

"What? If anything, you used me!"

"But you didn't have to do it, Raph!" April cried. Raphael stood in silence as the woman wiped away some of the tears that had started to tumble down her face. April didn't know what point she was trying to make. She wanted to blame Raphael for everything, but she knew that she influenced what happened as well. She simply didn't know what she wanted to do, as the though the problems twirling around in her mind were too many to handle all at once.

"So you regret it then?" Raphael's voice was thick and deep with seriousness.

"…Yes," April whispered her answer, rather ashamed.

"Well I sure don't," the turtle said strongly. He advanced towards her, getting even closer. "Do you have any idea how much it meant to me? How much I think about it?" April shook her head sadly to both questions. Raphael looked at the ground as he tried to compose himself. The last thing he wanted to do was to break out into angry tears. "You know… ever since I met you, I've thought about you every day. You know that? Every single day," Raph confessed, for once pouring out his heart. In a swift move he lurched forward and grabbed onto April's shoulders, holding her straight in front of him.

"Raph!" April yelped in surprised. Getting scared, she tried to struggle out of his grip, but his hold remained strong.

"Tell me you don't love me as much I do you! Tell me straight! Look me in the face and tell me!" Raphael shook her slightly as he forcefully tried to get to her to confess. The turtle could see the fear in her eyes… and then the guilt.

"…Raph, I…" she trailed off as she didn't want to finish her sentence. Scared that he was going to lose her, Raph made a bold move and pressed his lips against hers, hoping that through some magic she would look at him the same way she did the other night. April immediately tried to pull away, making it crystal clear that Raphael was no longer wanted.

"What's going on here?" Casey's enraged yet confused question boomed across the room. Raphael quickly let go of April, completely shocked by the man's sudden entrance. Both of them had the same question on their lips. How long had Casey been standing there at the door? Noticing the long silence, Casey assumed the worse. Making up his mind, the man quickly walked towards the turtle. "So this is how you repay a friend, huh? By sneaking off with his girl!" Casey lunged forward and gave Raph a giant push, making sure that he stood in-between the turtle and the woman. April immediately grabbed onto one of Casey's arms.

"Casey! It's not what it seems!" April begged the man to stop his furious rampage.

"Not what it seems?" Casey repeated her words with bewilderment. "Then tell me what on earth was that!" Casey threw his hands up in annoyance, quickly escaping April's hold. "I knew it! I knew it all along!" Casey claimed. April knew that there was no stopping him now, while Raphael prepared himself for the worse. "What kind of sick person are you?" Casey accused April.

"It wasn't like that! If you'd just let me explain-"

"-How long have you been sneakin' behind my back? How long?" The man angrily asked both of them, before furiously giving Raphael another aggressive push. The turtle didn't take the bait, not wanting to get into a fight. But Casey wasn't going to let him slide so easily since the silence following his rhetorical questions only made the two seem guilty. "How can you do this to me? Huh? How can you?" Casey continued to argue and furiously shove the turtle towards the door.

"Case, I…" Raphael was lost for words.

"How dare you!" It was obvious that Casey was past listening, not that he was ever going to heed either Raph's and April's explanation anyway. He pushed on Raph's shoulder again, and the turtle took another step back. "You low-life scum!" Casey name-called. When Raphael built up the nerve to look at his old friend in the face, all he could see in his narrowed blue eyes was bitter contempt, broken trust and unkept rage. Realising that he had almost been cornered in the alcove that led to the shop's exit, the turtle attempted to slip past Casey and run back over to April's side so he could defend his course of actions, but Casey was faster than that and pushed the turtle back even further. With longing and hurt eyes, Raphael stared at April, hoping that she would say something so that the argument could be quelled. But no words ever escaped from her mouth. "Don't look at her, you freak!" Casey yelled. In his enraged state of mind, he said the derogatory word without meaning or intent, but Raphael definitely took it personally.

"I am not a _freak_!" Raphael screamed, finally snapping and giving Casey a push of his own.

"Stop it! Stop it now!" April yelled, but it was futile. Raphael and Casey started to fight, throwing punches to the head, upper chest and gut. They brawled and tussled until Casey lost his balance and dragged the turtle to the ground along with him. Raph growled as Casey kicked and bucked underneath him, and with one swift movement, the turtle found himself on the bottom instead. April was quick and started drum her fists heavily against Casey's back, before pulling on the man's shoulders in an attempt to try and get the fighting to stop. Yet it didn't cease. It only got more serious and personal. Furious, Casey clutched onto Raph's throat and bashed the turtle's head against the hard floor.

"I love her! I love her!" Raphael pleaded, but that only angered Casey even more. April was Casey's girl first. The man continued to fight and didn't show any sign that he was going to let up anytime soon. April's eyes widened when she saw Raphael's right hand reach for his belt. There was a glint of silver. A sickening thud followed soon after. Then there was an eerie silence.

Casey gasped when he saw the single sai lodged into his belly. Feeling lightheaded, Casey moved and rolled off the turtle underneath. Raphael gave him a shocked look. He had stabbed him purely out of instinct. For years Raphael had been attacked by enemies of various sorts, but never by his own friend. Yet he had treated Casey the same way. His ninjitsu skills which he had donned throughout his childhood had finally given him the skill to dispatch an attacker without even thinking – it was just a natural reflex.

"Casey!" April screamed which she saw the amount of blood that was seeping onto his shirt. The man clutched at his stomach and lay face up from the ground, taking short, shallow breaths. His eyes darted around the room in panic. He was dying.

Completely forgetting about the previous fight, Raphael and April immediately tried to stop the bleeding. "Oh shit! Case! I'm so sorry! I'm sorry!" Raph hurriedly blurted out his true feelings as he looked frantically over his friend's ghastly wound.

April covered her mouth to stop herself from screaming when she noticed Casey's wide, vacant blue eyes. He was already gone. His death was quick. "Casey!" Raphael shouted again as he went into denial. "Come back to me man! Come back to me!" The turtle lightly shook the corpse's face, but no life ever returned.

Both were shocked and remained silent for the next minute. Raphael felt like he was going to vomit, but he had a strong stomach and kept it down. He timidly touched the handle of his embedded sai. "Don't touch it!" April suddenly called out, causing Raph to jump at the abrupt sound of her voice. "Don't pull it out… Check his pulse," April's mind went into gear. Raphael didn't even move a muscle.

"…He's gone, April," Raphael whispered, his voice filled with remorse and despair. April bit her lip and started to pace around in a small circle while she tried to gather her thoughts.

"Get out," April said. "Get out!" she yelled.

"But April-"

"I said get out!" She screamed. Raphael stood up but didn't move from his position beside Casey. He looked on as April reached for the nearby telephone. She hesitated in dialing 911. What was she going to tell the authorities? She pressed in the emergency number and glared at Raphael when she put the phone to her ear. Her expression of hatred was enough to finally convince him that it was time to leave.

Knowing he was no longer wanted, Raphael left the building in shame. In one night he had lost his love, an ally, a friend, his honour, and a sai. The question that rebounded and throbbed around Raph's mind was, was it worth it? Was one evening worth years of friendship? A few nights ago he felt like he was on top of the world; as though nothing could touch or destroy the relationship he had built with April. Yet Raphael should have known better. Everything had a cause and effect. One must always have to deal with the problems associated with their actions. The bottom line was simple; Raph had sinned and the consequences were more than just.

Raphael made no effort to hurry home. He hadn't even been leader for a week, and he had already made the greatest mistake in his life. The turtles had lost a great ally that night. There would be no smiling or welcoming faces from his family. There would be no forgiveness. He didn't know what he would tell the others. How could he explain what he had done? Raphael also couldn't return to the antique shop. He knew he would never see April again. Even if he could, would she want to see him? He would always wonder what April's fate would be. What were the consequences for her actions? Raphael could only hope that leaving the murder weapon behind would be enough evidence to convince the investigators that April was not the culprit. He felt like turning himself in, but he knew that it would be impossible and that it would only raise more questions that would inevitably lead unfairly to his family. He was stuck and he didn't know what to do, nor where to go. How could he ever repay April for this?

It is often said that the number one motive for assault and murder was the jealousy and envy over a lover. In the end, Casey would not go down in history because of his lifestyle or accomplishments, but rather as another grim statistic.

* * *

Michelangelo frowned when he observed the thick masses of clouds brewing overhead. Tugging the trench coat tighter to his body, he suddenly grinned when he felt the rectangular case, hidden in the depths of his large pocket, hit against his thigh. He had left the lair so he could rent, or rather 'borrow' a movie. To do so he had to hurriedly slip in and out of the store in less than three seconds. At first the store employee yelled and carried on whenever the mysterious shadow whisked in, but now he had grown used to the intruder, knowing that for some strange reason the video was always returned on time. 

Curious, Michelangelo reached into his pocket so he could see what movie he had blindly grabbed. _'Crap! Care Bears!' _Mike thought when he read the title. He groaned, knowing he should have memorised the genre sections of the store better. He thought he was aiming for the action section, but it seemed his guess was wrong.

A small, green and white piece of paper caught his eye. Stuck underneath some rubbish, the corners flickered and rustled in the gutter as the wind gushed through the streets. Mike practically jumped on top of it when he realised it was money. He grunted when he found out that it was only a one-dollar note. _'Better than nothing,'_ he thought optimistically.

Mike stuffed the note into his pocket as he started to head back to the lair. Passing a variety shop, he stopped and stared at the fresh flowers on display. The last rose in stock was on sale for a mere one dollar. It was obvious that the shop was about to close and that it wanted to get rid of a few things in a hurry, hence the markdown in price. Although his instinct told him to save the note he had just found, his heart pressured him into buying the flower for Eve.

With a beautiful flower in hand and his mind filled with good intentions, Michelangelo eagerly jumped down the lair's ladder when he arrived home. He stopped short when he found Leonardo sitting at the dining table reading the newspaper. "Well look at you!" Mike was excited by his brother's apparent improvement.

"Hi Mikey," Leo greeted with a large grin on his face, pleased and overjoyed by the enthusiastic support he was receiving from his family.

"Hmm, something looks different… Did you get your shell waxed?" Mike played along, hoping to boost Leo's self-esteem.

"Don helped me to walk again," Leo informed him, rather proud of his accomplishment.

"That's excellent Leo," Mike said, this time more sincere. It was then when Leo noticed the single flower in Mike's hand.

"What's that for?"

"Oh! Have you seen Eve around?" Mike asked. Leo smiled as Mike's question answered his own.

"I think she's in Master Splinter's room," Leo informed him.

"Splinter's room? Is everything alright?" Mike wondered, knowing that the train carriage was usually reserved for important talks and lectures from the old rat.

"I don't know. I think so," Leo sounded unsure. Curious, Michelangelo approached Splinter's room. "Good luck!" Leo called out, wishing his brother the best when it came to impressing Eve with the flower in his hand. Mike grinned excitedly and gave Leo a thumbs up. He was glad to see the ex-leader in such high spirits, especially after the tragedy that had befallen him.

"Master? Master Splinter" Mike quietly knocked, not wanting to disturb any conversation that might be in progress. After only waiting a few short seconds, Mike slowly slid open the door. What he found shocked him beyond disbelief and challenged all preconceived notions.

It was the longest time that Michelangelo had stayed silent. Usually he would think up a witty remark in order to break the ice, but no thoughts came to mind this time. He was just extremely confused. Splinter stared at his adopted son with his dark brown eyes, which couldn't hide the look of shock and surprise. For the first time, no wise words or explanations could be expressed. There was nothing he could say to justify the scene Mike had witnessed. Although the turtle had many questions, ironically the long silence had answered them all. He glanced at Eve, then looked at Splinter, before stepping away from the train carriage.

"Is everything alright?" Leo asked from his seat at the table. He desperately wanted to know what had shocked Mike so much, yet he sighed in frustration at the distance he would have to limp in order to look for himself. Then again, deep down, Leonardo didn't really want to know what had happened. He feared that the expectations he had held for years about his mentor might change.

"Michelangelo…" Splinter said as he outstretched a warm, understanding hand towards the wary turtle. Mike viewed the gesture with disgust.

"Why?" Mike demanded as he took another step backwards. He looked at Eve as she timidly stood behind Splinter, though her face reflected his expression of confusion, as if she didn't know what was wrong.

"Eve and I… we belong together," Splinter started to explain. Michelangelo, however, didn't want to hear another word. After throwing the rose on the floor, he stalked off and disappeared into his room. Splinter sighed, knowing he had created a mess of things. His whiskers twitched out of curiosity when Mike emerged again only a few seconds later, this time holding his tonfas. The rat watched, almost with amusement, as Michelangelo stood in a prepared stance, holding his weapons up high so that he guarded his face.

"Fight me," Mike offered. It was a rather stupid request, and he knew it.

"…You're frightened," Splinter noticed as if trying to force Mike to rethink his demand. The turtle took in a deep breath and tried to consciously suppress the shaking of his muscles.

"Fight me!" Mike demanded. This time his voice was more confident and forceful. He had grown up his whole life knowing that fighting solved most problems. Splinter usually offered guidance, but this time his Master was the source of the problem, especially when it came to where Eve's heart lay. Mike was confused and felt that only a battle for Eve could determine a solution to the problem, as though Splinter could regain honour or Mike would feel less betrayed if he lost to a fairer system, such as a duel. He knew that the chance winning was slim, but like Raph and Casey, he could not ignore the primitive instinct to battle for the respect and love of another.

"Michelangelo, this is not the correct course of action-"

"-Then what is?" Mike interrupted, still wary of the mutant he once admired. Leonardo watched the conversation from afar, not really knowing what was happening. All he knew was that his beloved and idolised Master must have done something terrible to cause such doubt in his brother.

Splinter hesitated answering Mike's question, as if his response would never satisfy the young turtle. Instead, he chose to make a statement. "Fighting won't make her love you either more or less. In the end it is Eve's decision," Splinter said.

"Don't lecture me!" Mike cried out and pleaded as he shifted uncomfortably in his stance. It was the first time he had ever gone against his ninjitsu master, and frankly he didn't know if he was doing the right thing. But his heart told him that he had been treated unfairly, so he followed his instinct and not the luring familiar words of 'wisdom' from his father. "I've listened to you all my life! And now there's this… Everything's been a lie!"

"Everything's not a lie, Michelangelo. I'm only saying the truth," Splinter tried to cut through the turtle's hazy reasoning.

"No you're not! This is a mistake! This is unfair!" Mike accused.

"Nothing is a mistake in life. Life is life, and you must make the most of it while you can," Splinter countered.

"Fight me!" Mike practically begged.

"But I've already won."

"Then at least give me the decency of a fight!" Mike pleaded. Tears started to streak down his cheeks as the feeling of hopelessness began to sink in.

"Michelangelo, there's no point," Splinter drilled his message across. Michelangelo lowered his guard and allowed the tears to fall freely down his face. He felt like a fool. A deep sense of regret lodged itself firmly into the turtle's mind. He had admired and trusted the mutant rat since the day he became a sentient being, and now the family bond they had shared was shattered. Splinter had gone behind his back and had claimed Eve for himself. His thoughts raced through the many lectures he had heard over the years, and although he once thought they were wise, he now believed them to be shallow, meaningless words about the importance of family, trust and love. It was the ultimate joke, but Mike didn't laugh. There was nothing he could do to change the outcome, since Splinter had even refused an honourable battle, making him feel utterly worthless, as though he didn't deserve Eve.

All of a sudden, pure anger surged up through Michelangelo's body. A million furious unanswerable questions pounded and spiraled around his mind, but only one seemed to repeat itself over and over, sticking out like a lone thorn on a rose. How could Splinter do this to him, his son? He had hoped that in some way, shape or form that his own love, respect and bond with his father meant something to Splinter. Yet it was clear that the rat had disregarded everything for the opportunity of having a woman.

Mike's muscles shook both from sheer fury and fear. He lurched forward to attack his father, but it wasn't over Eve, it was because of the disrespect that Splinter had shown him in the past couple of minutes. He wanted to prove his worth. He wanted to show him that he was no longer a little boy whose wills and wishes could be manipulated by a series half-truths. Splinter needed to be taught that he couldn't control everyone and everything in the lair anymore, or that it was right to do so in the first place. The attack wasn't just for himself either. It was also for his wrongful decisions about Venus, which led to Leo being injured and Raphael being promoted to leader. In the end, he just wanted to hit the old man for being so cruel.

But Mike missed. Leonardo continued to watch in silence as Splinter performed a combination of fluid, effective movements that caused Mike to fly backwards due to the force of the attacks. Painfully sliding to a stop, Michelangelo remained on the ground. He stayed there for a few minutes, too ashamed and angry to look up into his father's eyes. He was defeated.

To be continued…

Author's Note: In case you were wondering, I on purposely didn't want to describe what Mike saw. I tried to think of what Eve and Splinter could be doing, but in the end I realised that it simply doesn't matter. If they were doing something erm… squicky, or just kissing or hugging, Splinter still betrayed Mike's trust no matter what how much affection he was showing to Eve. So since the outcome would have been the same for any scenario, I just thought that I'd leave it up for interpretation.


	7. Greed

Author's Notes: Wow… I think that was the longest update I've ever had o.0! For quite a while I experienced massive computer problems where I ended up having to buy a new computer entirely, and then retype what I had done on this chapter. Then I had to start university where I had a shocking timetable that required me to make a number of sacrifices because of time restraints (serves me right for picking a science course :P). When I discovered that I had no time to update, I realised that although I was partly interested in what I was learning, I couldn't ignore my interests in other areas such as drama, art and creative writing. So I made a massive decision and dropped out of uni… basically all because of this fic! So now I'm going to try and see what life is like away from all the books and study, and see if I can land myself a job at the zoo, or in the acting, art or writing industry. Life is what you make it ;)

Chapter Seven: Greed.

These are the darkest of ages, in which the greed and ambition of men is finally equalled with their means of destruction and conquest - Anonymous.

The soothing and rather exciting melody flowed seamlessly through the eardrum, before being converted into riveting electrical impulses that stimulated Donatello's brain. It was often thought to be an odd taste in music. Yet as the turtle's fingers glided and clicked over the computer keyboard, Donatello couldn't think of anything more suitable than to listen to the classics of Beethoven while chatting to his Internet friends. Wearing headphones to mentally absorb himself into his electronic social event, he simply didn't hear or notice Michelangelo enter his bedroom.

"Donny?" Mike's voice croaked with despair and uncertainty. His lips trembled as a heart shattering sob escaped from his mouth. The turtle sniffled and tried to stop himself from crying when Donatello didn't respond. Michelangelo didn't know what to do. Irrational thoughts and solutions screeched and distracted his mind from achieving any useful action, but his gut instinct somehow came to the simplistic conclusion that it was time to leave the lair for good. He questioned whether he should approach Leonardo instead, but the ex-leader had been left out of the loop lately due to his injuries. Feeling as though he couldn't relate to his serious brother, Michelangelo's only option was to turn towards Donatello for help.

"Donny?" Mike asked again while taking a hesitant step forward. Sensing another presence in the room, Don swiftly glanced at his surroundings and did a double take when he saw the heartbroken expression on his little brother's face.

"Mike?" Don uttered in surprise, yanking the headphones off his head and swivelling around in his chair so he could completely focus his attention on the depressed turtle. "Mike, what's wrong? What happened?" Don was concerned. He watched in silence as a few more tears slipped effortlessly down Mike's face. The upset turtle sniffled again, and attempted to gather his thoughts.

"Don…" Mike started as he wiped his face with the back of his hand. He hated crying in front of his brothers, but this time he just let his emotions run wild. "…If I wanted to leave the city tonight… would you come with me?" Mike's body trembled as he said those words, as though he felt it was too surreal to even ponder the scenario of what he was suggesting.

Michelangelo wasn't the only one who was in a state of disbelief, as Donatello was also taken aback by his request. "But, but why?" Don uttered, desperately seeking the truth.

"Master Splinter, he…" Mike trailed off.

"Splinter, what?" Don urged him to continue.

Michelangelo crossed his arms and bit his bottom lip as he regretfully remembered what he had seen earlier. He felt so confused. So lost. But the raw anger he had experienced still lingered in every one of his muscles. "Splinter and Eve… They're together…" Mike murmured as he wiped away the rest of his tears, not wanting to go into details as he feared that he might emotionally break down again.

That was all Donatello needed to hear in order for him to piece together the facts. "Oh Mike…" he sympathised. "I'm so sorry."

"I can't look at him anymore, Don," Mike confessed. He lowered his gaze and stared at the floor, as though he thought of himself as being worthless.

"…I don't blame you," Don bluntly said. He cringed at the severity of Mike's emotional state and couldn't even comprehend how anyone could hurt his brother so badly, let alone his own father. Donatello sighed and rubbed his forehead, as though he wanted to prevent an oncoming headache. How could Splinter have done this to Mike? Splinter, the same man who had love and cared for them since they were hatchlings. A part of Donatello didn't want to believe it, as though he had been conditioned not to think of such horrible things about his father. Yet it was now clear to him that Splinter was no longer the man he had grown up with. He was now a stranger who had played and toyed with his brother in the most vicious of ways, as though the rat he knew had now been mutilated beyond recognition.

"I just… I can't stay here," Mike confessed, feeling so oppressed that he experienced an overwhelming urge to abandon his family and his duty to the clan. Donatello remained silent as he wondered whether Michelangelo was lying or over exaggerating the situation, but when he observed the crushed look of defeat in his brother's eyes, he knew that Mike needed his understanding more than anything else, and that it would be hazardous to allow him to wander the streets alone.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Don asked anyway, wanting to make sure that there was no other option. After waiting a few seconds, Mike nodded his head.

"I need… I think I need some time away from him. Just so I can… think things through," Mike admitted softly, his eyes still focused on his feet. Donatello sighed.

"Well then, just give me a few minutes to pack up my stuff, okay?" Don softly agreed. Mike nodded numbly and decided to do the same thing.

Leonardo was still sitting at the dining table when Mike returned to his own room. Leo knew something terrible had happened, though he didn't have the heart to ask. Witnessing the fight between Mike and Splinter for himself, Leonardo was also confused on where he stood in the clan, but unlike Donatello, Leo refused to immediately accept the truth and cursed himself for not being physically able to find out more. The ex-leader stared at his Master's door, hoping that it would slide open and that everything would be peaceful again in the clan, but Leo regretfully knew that Splinter would not make an appearance.

Minutes later, Leonardo watched in sadness as Michelangelo emerged from his room carrying a full black sports bag. It didn't take him long to guess what his brother was planning. To his surprise, Don joined him soon after. The two turtles stared at him as though neither of them knew what to say, and yet they already knew what his answer would be. "You're welcome to come… If you want to," Mike solemnly offered out of politeness. Leonardo sighed at hearing those words. He rubbed his left index finger and thumb together as though he wanted to distract his mind from the serious request.

"Where are you going?" Leo knew that there was nothing he could say to change their minds, so the least he wanted to know was if they were going to be safe. Stumped, Mike looked towards Donatello for an answer, but he was only faced with a similar look.

"…I guess wherever feels right. I don't really know yet," Mike nervously admitted when he realised that he didn't have any plans. All of a sudden, he felt extremely grateful that Donatello had agreed to go with him.

Leonardo didn't argue or force them to reconsider. Instead he continued to catatonically stare at his working left hand. "The keys to the Hummer are in the top draw of my bedside table," Leo instructed them. Mike and Don couldn't hide their shocked expressions.

"But Leo-"

"-Please. It's not as though I'm going to be driving anytime soon," Leo muttered. With a little nod, Donatello placed his packed bag down on the floor before entering Leonardo's room to search of the car keys. Michelangelo bit his lip while he waited for Don.

"Leo… I'm really sorry about all of this…" Mike apologised.

"It's okay. I'll be alright," Leo said with a weak smile. Mike didn't want to leave Leonardo behind, especially when he still wasn't completely healed, but he knew that the blue-wearing turtle simply wasn't ready to abandon Master Splinter's side. Leo was still loyal and the others knew that he'd be the last to leave. "Take care," Leonardo said softly when Donatello finally returned, keys in hand.

"We will, Leo," Don said. With that, the two brothers picked up their bulky, packed bags and slowly exited the lair for the last time. Deep inside, Leo wanted to run after them; protect them from the dangers of the outside world, but he knew that one day he would have to let them go and his injuries greatly helped him to obey his rational side of thinking. So he sat completely rigid in his seat and calmly watched as Mike and Don ascended the ladder. The sound of the Hummer's engine soon followed, before both turtles drove out into the dimly lit streets of New York City.

Leonardo didn't move. He had no place to go. No one to see. No one to talk to. His left thumb continued to fiddle with his other two fingers while he tried to make up his mind about what he wanted to do. Usually when major events happened, he would seek Splinter's advice on how to cope with the situation. But for the first time in his life, the aging ninjitsu master was unavailable; hidden inside his room with a new companion. Then again, what exactly would he say to the rat? Could he continue to confide in Splinter, or would he disregard his presence just like he had done with Michelangelo? Leo hated the fact that his mind was now challenging all of his past thoughts and preconceived notions about his father, as it made him terribly confused. One question would leap to another and another, until they swirled around in his head with a deafening sound, like how one drop of water would lead to a violent waterfall. Yet as he attempted to think things through, one thought kept on reappearing. Did Splinter even care?

In one single moment, all of the unanswerable questions dissipated from his troubled mind. Leonardo stared at the turtle that had just entered the lair. Raphael had come home.

Raphael froze in his place when he saw Leo sitting at the dining table. He raggedly breathed in and out as he nervously wondered if Leo had heard the terrible news. The two turtles stared blankly at one another until Leo finally gave him a look of concern. Raphael was _scared_. "Raph, what's wrong?" Leo eventually asked.

Raphael avoided his brother's confused gaze, not wanting to answer the question. He tried to invent a lie that would explain why he seemed so traumatised, but his mind refused to work and all of his ideas were as blank as a white sheet of paper. His conscience screamed at him to come clean and to tell Leo that he had murdered Casey. What he had done was incredibly serious, and he knew that he couldn't pass it off under the mist of a made up story. Yet the muscles in his throat tightened and his words became choked, leaving Leo no impression of the catastrophe he had started.

As the lengthy silence continued, Raph's eyes darted around the lair, hopping from one place to another, looking at anything besides his brother's face. From his position in the living room, he gazed towards Don's carriage. The door was open, and Raphael was slightly surprised that Donatello wasn't sitting at his computer, considering that Don wasn't renown for leaving the lair. It wasn't long until he noticed that the keyboard and mouse was missing, while his computer hard drive had been removed, leaving only the case behind. "Where's Donny?" Raph uttered. His heart beat faster when his imagination flitted to the idea that Don might have gone out to search for him, and thus discover his terrible secret. The muscles in his gut tightened at the thought. How would Don react?

"He left with Mikey," Leo informed him with a saddened tone.

"Left? Did they go looking for me?" Raphael was even more worried now, though he wasn't thinking clearly because if his suspicions were correct, they still wouldn't have packed their belongings. Leo's eye-ridge furrowed while he shook his head.

"They moved out." Raphael fell silent while he allowed the words to sink in.

"Moved out? Why? Where? Are they staying at April's?" Raph rapidly blurted out a number of questions.

"I don't think they are… Why?"

"Well, where did they go?" Raphael demanded to know.

"I don't know where!" Leo raised his voice, getting frustrated because his lack of knowledge only made him feel even more useless. "Mike left because something happened between Splinter and Eve. Don went with him," Leo explained.

"…Is Splinter okay?" Raphael asked, fearing the worst, especially since the conflict between himself and Casey still remained fresh in his mind.

"As far as I know, he is," the turtle answered truthfully while he fidgeted in his seat. He loathed knowing so little. When he was the leader, it was an old habit of his to check up on his family members. There was nothing more he wanted to do than to knock on Splinter's door and find out for himself what had caused Michelangelo to flee the lair. Yet he was confined to his own body and naturally fell victim to his physical capabilities. It pained him to see his family so torn apart, so distraught, and there was nothing he could do to fix the tear that was gradually getting bigger and bigger as the time wore on. First it had been Mikey. Now it was Raphael. Leo couldn't help but wonder why Raph was acting so concerned. So worried. So scared.

Taking his gaze off Raphael's fearful eyes that seemed to constantly avoid the direction of the dining table, Leo scanned the rest of the room. He held his breath when he discovered that Raphael only had one sai in his belt. Not wanting to jump to any early conclusions, Leo continued to search for answers. A glint of red caught his eye. A bloody handprint had smeared the silver surface of the lair's ladder entrance. Quickly putting the clues together, Leo despairingly observed the large amount of dry blood on Raph's palms.

"What did you do?" Leo whispered. Following his brother's gaze, Raph's heart received a frightened, pounding surge of adrenaline when he remembered the blood on his hands. Speechless, he tried to hide them behind his back even though he wanted to confess. Leonardo kept his gaze fixated on Raph's face, though it chilled him when he saw that daunted facial expression again. It wasn't uncommon for Raphael to get carried away and kill an enemy every now and then, but this time something was terribly different. Something petrifying.

Raph opened and closed his mouth a few times while he tried to form some words, but instead of producing any sound, he stalked off into the bathroom. "Raph!" Leo yelled after him. "Raph! Please! Just tell me what's wrong!" he pleaded. Raphael slammed the door shut behind him in a panic, before grabbing and twisting the cold water tap on at the porcelain sink. He furiously rubbed his hands together under the gushing water, feeling slightly like Lady Macbeth while he did so. Slowly the red fluid spiralled down the drain, but Raph kept washing himself, trying desperately to get rid of the blood that had dried in-between his small reptilian scales.

He looked up and stared at himself in the mirror, allowing his hands to finally stop moving and rest almost peacefully under the open tap. Raph could barely recognise his own reflection. His eyes were filled with fear, uncertainty and guilt, while he could have sworn his skin was a lighter green. As his stomach churned, he started to look and feel ill. Swiftly turning, he lifted up the toilet lid nearby and vomited into the echoing depths of the porcelain bowl. He sighed afterwards. He felt only slightly better. Kneeling on the cold tiled floor, he tiredly lifted his left arm to press on the handle and flush the toilet. Groggily, he returned to the sink and started to wash his mouth out in order to get rid of the sickly acidic taste.

As he stood there, mouth open while allowing the running water to flow in and out, he wondered where his life would now take him. Oddly, his mind floated to Michelangelo and Donatello. He knew that Mike greatly enjoyed Eve's company, and he thought those feelings were reciprocated. While he didn't know the finer details, nor how far their relationship went, if anywhere, for some reason he felt he could relate to the orange-wearing turtle's current situation. However, Raphael didn't know how closely linked their stories were.

Both brothers had loved, and both had lost. Yet the main difference was that Mike's decisions were ruled by his morals, while Raph chose to be guided by his instincts. It was a common misconception in society that if one person decided to take the more ethical approach, like Mike had done, then their life should be consistently filled with happiness, otherwise playing by the rules would be perceived to be pointless. Yet life's hurdles are never lowered for anyone, even to the kindest of men, and as Mike discovered the hard way, obeying basic morals didn't make life instantly easy, but rather they made the healing process and decision making more bearable. Michelangelo had chosen not to physically love Eve, while Raph had given into lust. Although both turtles ended up at the same place with broken hearts, Raphael had lost a lot more on his uncontrolled journey of soul mate searching. Mike's emotional wounds were deep, but time would slowly heal them. Raphael on the other hand, had given his everything; heart, body, mind and soul. He inevitably became too involved and risked all that was important, only to be left with a bottomless pit filled with regret. It's a known fact that everyone must deal with the decisions they make in their lifetime, but by far Raphael had to face a lot more repercussions because of his choices, when compared to Mikey's problems.

Raphael sighed as he finally twisted the cold water tap off. The turtle closed his eyes and took in a deep breath as he tried to formulate a plan. Still thinking about his younger brothers, running away didn't seem to be a bad idea. Leonardo had already caught on that something was wrong, and Raph simply didn't want to deal with all the accusations and judgemental thoughts from his family at that particular point in time. Although he viewed himself as a murderer, Raphael still needed time alone to mourn for his victim, his friend.

Contrary to what his brothers believed, Raphael actually held a great deal of respect for Splinter. His master had always stood by him, and was the only one who attempted to reach through his rage infested mind when he was an adolescent. Considering that Splinter had invested so much time into correcting his reckless behaviour over the last few years of his life, Raphael hated to see that look of pure disappointment on the rat's face. Just recently Splinter had finally bestowed the honour of selecting the turtle to be the leader of the clan, and now Raphael was too ashamed to admit his inexcusable mistake. He really didn't want to disappoint his father again, not after so must trust had been given. He felt as though the terrible news would break Splinter's heart. In the end, Raphael didn't want to fail and dishonour his ninjitsu master. And so the answer was simple. Run away.

Raphael suddenly pushed open the bathroom door and determinedly walked towards his the train carriage that housed his personal bedroom. Yet for some unknown reason, he paused midway and stared at Leonardo once again. Raph expected to see anger in his brother's eyes, like he usually did when he was being anti-social, but instead he only saw sadness etched on Leo's face. The turtle helplessly stared from the dining table, only wanting an explanation, not an argument. "Is it really that bad?" Leo wondered why Raphael wasn't telling him what had happened.

"It is," the words barely made it past Raph's lips.

"I don't believe you. I mean, nothing can be-"

"Leo, it is!" Raphael said sharply, cutting him off. The turtle instantly regretted talking in such a harsh tone. Leo simply didn't deserve that type of response. "Look, I know you're trying to help… but you can't. I've just… I've gotta get away from here." With that said, Raphael swiftly walked into his bedroom.

"Please Raph! We can work this out!" Raphael could hear Leonardo's pleads of forgiveness while he packed his bag. "You don't have to run away from your problems!" Raph sighed when he heard those words, for it was exactly what he was doing. For a split second he pondered on whether he should stay, as though Leo had managed to reach through to the part of him that hated being called a coward. _'I don't run from anything'_, Raph remembered what he used to say before an imminent deadly battle. The burning, guilty sensation of wanting to confess rose up through his body once again. But the urges subsided as quickly as they came. This time there were no opponents, no physical fights that had to be done. Instead, he was his worst enemy, and although he couldn't run from himself, he knew that he needed to be alone so he could piece together his life again.

"Please Raph!" Leo begged again. Raphael grunted, snapping out of his brief cationic state of mind. He hurriedly flung open a black sports bag and packed his spare pair of sai, his various extra belts and masks, a large wad of cash that he had taken from some drug dealers he had intervened, and also a few books that he had come to own over the years. He wasn't the sort of turtle who grew attached to material things, and Raphael couldn't help but find it almost funny that his whole life could be packed into a bag in a matter of seconds.

Raphael grabbed his few important belongings and swiftly walked out of his bedroom for the last time, making a beeline for the lair's ladder. "Raph! We'll work things out, I promise!" Leonardo continued to plead when he saw his brother again. Raph didn't stop. "Just don't leave me!" Leo cried out. Raphael stopped in his tracks, knowing that Leo was growing quite desperate. "First Venus, then Mike and Don… You're the only one left…" the turtle tried to reason with him. "Just don't leave me here with _him_. I don't… I don't want to be left here with Splinter," Leo confessed.

"…I'm sorry, Leo. I've failed," Raphael mumbled. Not wanting to look at his brother, he moved forward and started to climb the ladder. He stopped a few rungs up and sighed. "I should never have been leader," he whispered only just loud enough so that Leo could hear, before finally moving off. Leo's face remained stern for a few minutes while he tried to accept the new circumstances he was in, until he finally broke down.

"Damn you, Raph! Damn you!" he screamed from his seat. The Hog's revving engine could be heard from deep within the sewer lair. Leo's ears strained as he followed the fading sounds of the motorcycle until it disappeared altogether. For one of the first times in his life, he felt truly alone. He was a lost sheep who had no shepherd or flock.

After sitting completely still for a few minutes, Leonardo slowly began to regret not going with Mike and Don. Leo knew that Splinter would have definitely heard some of the exchanges he had between Raphael, and even then the rat didn't emerge from his room. Leo sighed and found himself feeling rather unwanted due to his lack of mobility. He was a vegetable that no one could be bothered to take care of; stuck at home as an ex-warrior who could only reminisce about better times. All of his physical goals in life had slipped away, and now his support network, his family, had also disintegrated right in front of his eyes. Now all he could do was watch.

As Leo continued to sit in one of the dining chairs, he realised that he no longer had to be loyal to his ninjitsu master. As of a few days ago, Splinter had told him that he had been discharged from his duties of being leader, and thus he technically was no longer a working ninja. There was nothing left for him in New York. Then again, what did he have left at all? He felt as though Splinter didn't need his services any more, and his presence in the lair would only prove uncomfortable now that his master seemed to be pursuing a relationship with Eve. Leo hated Splinter for that. Leo even hated himself for being like he was; a burden.

Out of frustration, Leo fidgeted and kicked his legs underneath the table. It was a furious movement which quickly turned painful when Leo's left knee twinged. The turtle gritted his teeth while he tried to hold back a scream, not out of agony but rather out of pure annoyance with himself. With his left hand gently massaging the knee cap, he sighed when he noticed the ticking hands on the clock. It was almost bedtime. He looked forlornly at his bedroom and felt as though it was over a mile away. Leo hated hobbling. It was tiring and slow, and at that moment he simply didn't want to bother moving at all. Stuck in the living room and feeling completely miserable, Leo came up with an alternative and rested his head against the flat surface of the table. It was only slightly comfortable, but he simply didn't care at that point. With his eyelids struggling to stay up, Leo sedately continued to try and stare at the clock on the wall. It wasn't long until he fell asleep due to boredom.

Leo awoke hours later after experiencing a burning sensation located around his neck. His muscles had cramped. While massaging his neck, Leo grumped at his own stupidity for being so lazy and sleeping in that horrible bent-over position. That's when he noticed another person in the room. He jumped out of shock when he first laid eyes on the fully cloaked figure as he thought it was a Rank soldier, but he immediately relaxed when he realised who it was. "You came back," Leo was surprised.

"I'm not staying for long," the female turtle replied.

"Don't worry. I'm used to it," Leo bluntly said. Intrigued by Leo's last comment, Venus looked around the lair and noticed that a lot of items were missing.

"Where is everyone?" she wondered.

"Gone. They packed up and left." Venus could tell that Leo was annoyed. She wisely decided to ask for more details, even though she was extremely curious as to what happened within the clan during her absence. Venus sighed and slowly removed the hood that was covering her face. Leo's eyes softened when he noticed a graze across Venus' cheek, as though she had barely avoided being shot in the head from a dragon's laser gun. "You're hurt," Leo stated with concern. Venus subconsciously touched her slightly burnt cheek.

"It's nothing."

"No… It needs to be seen to. It'll leave a scar otherwise," Leo assessed, motioning for her to sit beside him at the table. She was quite hesitant at his offer, but she eventually relented and allowed her small injury to be inspected. She hissed and titled her head away when Leo's left hand touched her cheek. "Sore?"

"It stings," Venus murmured. Leo gave her a small smile.

"I know the feeling." Venus giggled lightly at his honesty. "You should run some cold water across it. It's still quite hot," Leonardo finished his assessment. Venus nodded, and the two turtles fell into silence. "Why did you come back?" Leo finally asked the question that was on his mind. He stared directly into her eyes, but she simply turned her head and tried to avoid his direct gaze, as though she was embarrassed… or possibly shy.

"I wanted to warn you. There are about a hundred dragons currently searching the sewers, and in a few hours I think they're going to find our lair," Venus explained to Leo the bad news, touching her face as a reminder of her recent encounter with the enemy. "We have to get out of here now," her voice suddenly became filled with urgency. Although Leo felt that there was more to her story, he nodded in understanding and accepted what she had said. "…Can you walk?" Venus was curious as to how Leo had managed to make it to the table.

Leonardo gave her a smile. "Don helped me earlier today. I can move… but I don't know if you can call it walking yet!" Venus grinned, knowing that Leo was finally starting to cheer up. Yet she had no idea how much of a role she personally played in improving Leo's positive outlook.

"That's great, Leo," Venus congratulated him. "It's good to see that you're improving".

"We best be going soon," Leo reminded her.

"What do you want packed?"

"Just some books. A few of them are still in Don's room. Doesn't really matter what ones."

"Packing light, are we?"

"No… I guess I just don't need that many things anymore," Leo murmured.

"I'll be back in a minute," Venus smiled before entering Leo and Don's bedrooms. Although she felt slightly rude when searching through the male turtle's few possessions, Venus noticed that she felt a strange sense of satisfaction in helping him. Spending some time away from the boys only made her realise how much she enjoyed their company, especially Leo's. She had slowly been able to come to grips and accept her feelings for the male turtle, and now that she had a clearer view of her heart, she was now even able to pick up on Leo's reciprocal emotions which were shrouded in subtly.

As Leonardo waited, he recognised an unfamiliar sensation of relief dance through his body. It was as though he was excited to finally move on and leave the lair. Forget about Splinter. To even distance himself from his brothers. He wanted to abandon his old life and start anew. There was something about Venus that made him feel so innocent, as though he was revisiting his early childhood years again. Emotions he had forgotten about were suddenly resurrected whenever the female turtle was around. Leo desperately wanted to know why he felt that way about her, and he was curious to find out if there was a future. For some reason, Venus made Leo feel complete, and both mutants wanted to know why.

"Where's the keys to the Hummer?" Venus called out to Leo, thinking that they could use it as a fast exit from the oncoming dragon army.

"I gave permission for Mike and Don to take it," Leo said. Venus remained silent as she zipped up Leo's newly packed bag. Carrying it in one hand, she walked over to the resting turtle and placed it down beside him.

"I think that's everything," Venus said softly. "Looks like we'll just have to walk on foot then," she sighed, raising an eye-ridge while she pondered on how Leo was going to move about.

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

"Being a nuisance," Leonardo solemnly said. Venus sighed. She sat down beside him again, leaned over slightly, and held his left hand with her own.

"You're not a nuisance," she looked straight into his eyes, trying to convince him to think more optimistically. "I'll be more than happy to help you, Leo," she said softly, yet once again she suddenly looked away from his gaze. Leo could have sworn he saw a hint of a blush. There was a moments silence before Venus focused on the task at hand once more. "Now come on. We have to leave," she said, standing up from her seat. "What side do you need the most support on?" Venus offered to help.

"Probably my left side because of my knee," Leo admitted his weakness. Venus nodded before picking up her own bag and sliding the strap across her body, so that the main bulk of it rested just underneath her left hand. She was about to do the same with Leo's belongings, when the male turtle interrupted her. "I can hold that," he offered, stretching out his left arm.

"You sure?"

"It's the least I can do," Leo said. He was so thankful for all that Venus was doing for him, that he desperately wanted to find a way he could return the favour. Leo took the bag, and with some slight difficulty, he slipped it across his plastron, even though it felt somewhat uncomfortable having so much dead weight on his right side. Leo couldn't help but smile when Venus wrapped an arm around him, so that when he stood up, some of his body weight was supported. Together as one, the pair slowly moved forward one step at a time.

They faltered when they passed Splinter's door. "Should I tell him?" Venus offered, though it was blatantly obvious to Leonardo that she was uncomfortable in meeting the rat again. Instead of answering straight away, Leo kept thinking about the question, and in the end only spoke the truth that was in his heart.

"No point. Splinter abandoned us with Eve," Leo didn't lie.

"He left?" Venus was shocked.

"Yes." A short yet heavy silence filled the room. "In a way, he was the first to truly leave," Leo added softly. The turtle wasn't sure if he was doing the right thing, but he knew that over the past couple of hours Splinter had shown that he was capable of handling himself. His old master had made his choice in the lifestyle that he wanted, and now Leo was making a firm decision with his; to start again. Leonardo had no reason to be loyal to the aging rat anymore, and so he simply wished that they could go their separate ways. The crises with the oncoming dragon hoards was a problem that a ninja must face; a dilemma that Leo never had to worry about again. While over the years his brothers had teased both Leo and Splinter's alikeness, in the end they departed as unique individuals.

Leonardo looked towards the exit of the lair, knowing that as soon as he left, a new lifestyle would be born. With his eyes still focused in that direction, his gaze inevitably landed on the rack where the weapons were kept for easy access. His katana was the only one there. "Pass me my sword," he instructed Venus. Slightly confused by his request, Venus did what she was told and handed the weapon to him hilt first. She watched as he gripped the single katana firmly in his left hand while he slowly hobbled over to the start of the alcove which featured the ladder; a concrete corner which jutted out as a rather sharp ninety-degree angle. With a giant swing of his arm that almost knocked himself off balance, Leonardo smashed his katana against the wall. The sharp edge of the corner made the sword break in two. Venus blinked in stupor for a few seconds, until she smiled when she realised what Leo had meant by his actions. Being raised as an American ninja, Leo didn't know whether the reference came from factual accounts from Japan, or if it was just seen in cheesy, predictable kung-fu movies, but Venus still managed to decipher the symbolism behind his rash actions. When a leader's sword had been broken, it meant that the clan had been destroyed.

The burden of being leader finally lifted its weight off Leo's shoulders. He felt lighter. Happier. Being more relaxed than ever, he allowed Venus to wrap her arm around him again so he could walk with less difficulty. "Are you going to have trouble with the ladder?" Venus asked while staring at the foreboding, thin silver rungs.

"I should be able to get up it. That is if you help me."

"Of course I'll help," Venus whispered with a small smile on her face. Leonardo sighed as he started to get used to his new way of life. For some reason, with Venus around, he no longer felt bothersome, but rather content. Just hours earlier he felt that he didn't have the heart to live another day in his condition, and now he was leaving with a girl who seemed to ceaselessly fascinate every inch of his mind. Both turtles had experienced the worst week of their lives, but through patience and persistence, things were starting to look brighter for the two of them. Although he hated to admit it, Leo realised that in order to truly make a difference in his life, sometimes you had to leave everything you knew and start again.

* * *

Grooved tires rolled ceaselessly across the road's surface in an almost sedated dream-like motion. Michelangelo sucked in a deep breath of the cold early morning air while allowing the wind to flap, flicker and play with his orange bandanna tails. Everything was so new; the atmosphere, the scenery, the mood. He looked to the right and watched as trees, shrubs and a few farms scrolled by. Far off into the distance, only the faintest hint of a purple and pink hue in the clouds signified that the sun was going to rise soon. Not a soul could be seen. Everything was so fresh. So peaceful. 

"So where are we going?" Mike asked for the umpteenth time.

Donatello sighed as the clutched the steering wheel, checking the rear-view mirror in case another car decided to follow them. "I dunno. You just wanted to start driving," Don reminded him. He wasn't exactly annoyed at Mike's lack of planning, but rather he found amusing. "I guess it doesn't really matter now," Don shrugged.

"Yeah… No point in turning back now," Mike murmured, not wanting to return to New York so soon. "We've come so far…" he trailed off.

"If we keep going at this speed, we'll reach Buffalo soon," Don said while he eyed the speedometer.

"…What's at Buffalo?" Mike pondered. Donatello shrugged once again.

"I don't know… but for some reason I keep thinking of chicken."

"…It's probably the buffalo wings."

"Well then I guess that answers our question. Buffalo has buffalo wings," Don commented as he took a left turn. Mike giggled at his rather inane conclusion.

"How long will it take the locals to figure out that we're from New York?" Mike asked with a big grin on his face.

"I'll give them ten seconds," Don betted, smiling as well.

"You know," Mike's voiced turned more serious again. "I'm really glad that you came with me," the turtle meant every word.

"Well I couldn't let you have all the fun," Don said. The two mutants fell silent as they listened to the continuous rumbling drone of the Hummer's engine. Donatello glanced at Mikey and smiled. "Guess what?" Don suddenly asked.

"What?"

"It's your turn to drive," Don stated with a wicked smirk.

"What!" Mike exclaimed. "But Donny…" he started to whine when the vehicle pulled over to the curb.

"Well I _did_ say that I'm not going to let you have all the fun," Don reminded him, and was cheeky enough to give his brother a wink. Sighing, Michelangelo stepped out of the car and switched places with Don. After clicking his seat belt in place, Mike slid his hands ever so gently along the rim of the leather coated steering wheel. As though he was meditating, he took in a deep breath and released it in one long, calm motion. Freedom was at his fingertips. He had driven the Hummer numerous times before, yet he always had a destination and an obligation to get there. Now he could travel to wherever he wished, and the uncertainty of the event exhilarated every muscle, tendon and bone in his body. He was finally free, and his best friend had come along for the ride.

Donatello fidgeted in his seat while he waited for Mike to move back onto the road. "Mike?" Don asked, just in case his brother had been lost in thought.

"You know… I think having buffalo wings in Buffalo sounds like a great idea," Michelangelo decided on a whim. Donatello chuckled at the notion and nodded his head in agreement while the Hummer slowly turned back onto the road. Although the clan had self-collapsed, life still found a way to continue on.

Author's Notes: Yes, davewriter, as you predicted, this is the final chapter. I'd like to thank everyone who's reviewed… and everyone who bothered to read through this ridiculously long chapter o.0! Writing this fic has meant a lot to me, and I'm really looking forward to continuing on with this hobby. Unfortunately my parents don't like me writing fan fiction and now they'd like to see me write an actual novel (I'll have the last say on that decision though :P Muahahaha!). I have heaps of ideas for numerous fics (actually I have too many ideas and now I have to sort through them all o.0!) including a possible sequel to Mary Sue or the Prison series, along with new TMNT storylines altogether. So I'll probably do something naughty and write an original novel and a number of fanfics all at the same time o.0! Anyway, once again thank you very much for reading and reviewing this fic, and I hope you all enjoyed it.


End file.
